POS1-0084
Mechanophore-Bearing PE-like Polymers for Force-Triggered Degradation
Topic
S1. Polymer Synthesis
When and Where
Sep 29, 2026
08:30 - 09:30
Room 301 (Grand Ballroom)
Session Chairs
Hae Jung SON
Boseok KANG
Presenter(s)
Curie Yim (Yonsei University)
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
Polyethylene (PE) is widely used because of its excellent mechanical properties and chemical resistance. However, its highly stable hydrocarbon backbone limits the development of sustainable end-of-life strategies, including degradation, upcycling and recycling. Herein, we report mechanophore-bearing PE-like materials synthesized via ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of a cyclobutane-fused monomer and cyclooctene, followed by hydrogenation. The ROMP-based approach enabled tunable incorporation of mechanophore units while maintaining a PE-like backbone. Upon mechanical activation, the embedded mechanophore underwent force-induced ring opening to generate latent degradable functionalities. Subsequent hydrolysis produced low-molecular-weight oligomers, demonstrating on-demand degradation of the materials. By decoupling backbone stability from degradability through mechanical gating, this work provides a promising strategy for the development of sustainable polyolefin materials.
