IMX Talks - Sustainable green bio-polycarbonates from bio-based feedstocks and CO2 toward carbon-neutral goals

The growing challenges of plastic pollution, fossil resource depletion, and carbon emissions have accelerated the search for sustainable alternatives to polymers. This presentation will focus on the development of fully bio-based polycarbonates, synthesized through the polymerization of carbon dioxide with renewable epoxides. We will first detail our laboratory’s work in generating a diverse portfolio monomer from a wide range of bio-feedstocks including plant oils, terpenes, lignocellulosic biomass, and industrial byproducts. Another focus is the effect of monomer structure on resulting polymer properties and performance, and how post-polymerization modification strategies can be employed to tailor materials for specific applications. (2) Applications of bio-based polycarbonates will be then discussed in fields such as coatings, biomedical materials, adhesives, and their recycling pathways. (3) An outline of future directions will be explored, emphasizing the roles of advanced catalyst design, AI-driven manufacturing, and supportive policy frameworks to enable scalable and sustainable production. The integration of CO₂ utilization with renewable feedstocks presents a compelling route toward circular and carbon–neutral materials.

Bio: Shaoqing Cui, Ph.D., is a Principal Investigator under the Zhejiang University’s "Hundred Talents Program" and a recipient of China’s National High-level Talent Program - (Overseas Young Talent Project). She used to be an Assistant Professor at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville (United States) before joining Zhejiang University. Her research focuses on the valorization of agricultural waste and carbon dioxide conversion and utilization, including high-value utilization of agricultural straw, waste oils as well as  microalgae biomass. She has led and participated in multiple research projects, including a U.S. Department of Energy project on the efficient catalytic conversion of waste-treatment microalgae and CO₂ into high-value plastic products, also two U.S. Department of Agriculture projects. Since joining the Zhejiang University in 2023, she has also been leading several major research initiatives, including projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and Zhejiang Provincial Key R&D Programs.