Converting inorganic sulfur into degradable thermoplastics and adhesives by copolymerization with cyclic disulfides

Converting elementary sulfur into sulfur-rich polymers provides a sustainable strategy to replace fossil-fuel-based plastics. However, the low ring strain of eight-membered rings, i.e., S8 monomers, compromises their ring-opening polymerization (ROP) due to lack of an enthalpic driving force and as a consequence, poly(sulfur) is inherently unstable. Here we report that copolymerization with cyclic disulfides, e.g., 1,2-dithiolanes, can enable a simple and energy-saving way to convert elementary sulfur into sulfur-rich thermoplastics. The key strategy is to combine two types of ROP—both mediated by disulfide bond exchange—to tackle the thermodynamic instability of poly(sulfur). Meanwhile, the readily modifiable sidechain of the cyclic disulfides provides chemical space to engineer the mechanical properties and dynamic functions over a large range, e.g., self-repairing ability and degradability. Thus, this simple and robust system is expected to be a starting point for the organic transformation of inorganic sulfur toward sulfur-rich functional and green plastics.

Yuanxin Deng, Zhengtie Huang, Ben L. Feringa, He Tian, Qi Zhang, Da-Hui Qu