Hybrid monomer design for unifying conflicting polymerizability, recyclability, and performance properties

Summary Intrinsically recyclable polymers represent a circular economy approach to address plastics problems. However, the design of such is challenged by unyielding trade-offs between monomer’s polymerizability and polymer’s depolymerizability performance properties. Here, we introduce hybrid monomer strategy that synergistically couples high ceiling temperature (HCT) sub-structure for properties with low (LCT) recyclability within same structure. Thus, structural hybridization HCT e-caprolactone LCT γ-butyrolactone led an offspring [3.2.1]bicyclic lactone, which exhibits both depolymerizability, otherwise conflicting in typical monomer. The resulting polymer becomes high-performance material, thermal transition temperatures are ∼200°C higher tensile modulus 10× than its parent polymers. These results demonstrate HCT/LCT powerful designing where must be exploited unified.