Synthetic Route And Application of Photodegradable Polymers

Abstract

With the accumulating mass of land wastes, designing end-of-life principles for plastic wastes is becoming one of the most debated topics for polymer scientists. A developing family of materials called photodegradable polymers carries great environmental and commercial values. Photodegradable polymers will engage in photolysis under specific wavelengths, resulting in cleavages on the polymer backbone and smaller molecular weights. This research will discuss standard methods of photodegradation, such as Norris I&II, along with common photodegradable polymers and their functionalities. Examples of photodegradable polymers illustrated are polybutadiene, isotactic poly(propylene oxide) (iPPO), polylactide (PLA), and polystyrene. In Particular, this research used polystyrene as an example to explain the common degradation steps of photodegradable polymers. Nevertheless, the synthetic route and plans utilized for those polymers are discussed, shedding light on future possibilities in this field. Promising directions, such as metal-organic polymers with metal-to-metal bonds that can be synthesized through ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) are touched upon by the end of the research, introducing possible future implications in polymer science.