Scientists at Flinders University have used ultraviolet (UV) light to successfully synthesise more sustainable and recyclable polymer materials for the first time.
The team, led by green chemistry experts, has taken a major step in making polymers high in sulfur content for more sustainable plastic alternatives using waste materials.
These findings have been published in the American Chemical Society journal.
The Flinders University team has shown highly flexible sulfur-rich polymers can be used in a range of high-value applications – from heavy metal land and water remediation, as well as optics for infrared imaging, and even novel antimicrobial agents.
The latest research promises to make them even more adaptable and affordable.
“We show these remarkable new polymers can be produced in more sustainable ways and also recycled using low-cost accessible energy sources, including UV light and LED, as well as other methods,” said lead author and Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Research Award Fellow Dr Thomas Nicholls.
In the latest study, an interdisciplinary team from Flinders University, the University of Tasmania and Deakin University were able to produce more sulfur-rich polymers by shining UV light on the monomer building blocks to connect them together.
The newly developed method also used pulsed LED to reshape the polymer monomer and increase its green credentials.
“While the UV light breaks sulfur-sulfur bonds to begin with, we used short bursts of LED irradiation to overcome degradation in polymerisation,” Nicholls said.
“This technique allowed the synthesis of high molecular weight polymers, which allowed them to be used in several applications, such as recyclable adhesives, new photoresists for lithography, and anti-corrosion coatings.”
World production of hundreds of millions of tonnes of plastic every year is creating a variety of environmental problems, with much of it being non-degradable and using toxic chemicals.
The power used in producing non-organic plastics is also a contributor to pollution and global warming.
The research project team used UV light to recycle the polymers – making it possible for the monomer building blocks to be polymerised again and reused.
Co-author Dr Jasmine Pople said the team’s latest discovery enables the synthesis of high molecular weight sulfur polymers by simply switching on and off a light.
“This approach encompasses mild, safe, and sustainable conditions, providing ready access to sulfur polymers,” she said.
Another Flinders University author, Dr Harshal Patel, said the application of flashing light at a steady 60 beats per minute was an exciting task.
“The application exploration and chemical recyclability of these polymers, as well as the mechanistic analysis, make this paper an intriguing read.”
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