Backbone Cleavable Polymethacrylates Via Optimized Thionolactone Comonoemers

Technology 

The synthesis of backbone cleavable polymethacrylates begins with thionolactones—comonomers that can copolymerize with methacrylates to produce random copolymers. By employing rROP, cleavable thioester groups are randomly integrated into polymer backbones. The resulting polymers are backbone-degradable, allowing them to be broken down under specific conditions for recycling, upcycling, or biodegradation schemes.  

Problem Addressed 

This technology addresses the need for degradable polymethacrylates by incorporating cleavable thionolactones into polymer backbones. Previously, the development of such materials has faced challenges due to the reaction kinetics of methacrylate polymerization, making it difficult for cleavable comonomers to be inserted into the polymer backbone randomly. The disclosed technology presents optimized thionolactone comonomers capable of forming eco-friendly, degradable polymethacrylates.  

Advantages 

• Enables the creation of polymers with cleavable thioester groups in their backbones, thereby allowing for degradation into small fragments suitable for recycling or biodegradation 
• Offers a new approach to polymer design by utilizing thionolactones as comonomers, which have not been previously used to make poly(methacrylates) 
• The resulting copolymers have many potential applications for waste management and biodegradability, addressing environmental concerns

Publications

Ko, Kwangwook, David J. Lundberg, Alayna M. Johnson, and Jeremiah A. Johnson. "Mechanism-Guided Discovery of Cleavable Comonomers for Backbone Deconstructable Poly(methyl methacrylate)." Journal of the American Chemical Society 146, no. 13 (2024): 9142–9154. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.3c14554.