High-Molecular-Weight Degradable Polymers with Disulfide Bonds
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing polymers lack the ability to maintain high molecular weights while being degradable, which is necessary for various applications such as packaging materials, coatings, and adhesives, and there is a need for materials that can degrade in a controlled manner to reduce plastic waste.
Innovation Solution
A new class of degradable polymers is developed through copolymerization of organosulfur monomers with cyclic disulfide groups and organic monomers, allowing for the incorporation of cleavable disulfide bonds into the polymer backbone, enabling chemical or biological degradation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional polymers are used to maintain high molecular weight and performance attributes, then the polymer retains mechanical strength and stability, but the polymer cannot degrade environmentally and persists as waste
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the polymer backbone into repeatable units containing disulfide bonds, creating a modular structure that maintains high molecular weight through multiple repeating units while enabling degradation at specific bond locations. The disulfide bonds act as predetermined segmentation points that allow the polymer to break down into smaller fragments under environmental conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical parameter of the polymer backbone by incorporating disulfide bonds (S-S) instead of traditional carbon-carbon bonds. This parameter change enables the polymer to undergo redox reactions and cleavage under environmental conditions, transforming the polymer from environmentally persistent to degradable while maintaining mechanical performance through controlled molecular weight and composition.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If degradable bonds are introduced into the polymer backbone to enable environmental degradation, then the polymer becomes biodegradable, but the molecular weight decreases and performance attributes are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating degradable disulfide bonds at specific locations within the polymer structure rather than distributing them uniformly throughout. The disulfide bonds are incorporated at controlled frequencies and positions within the backbone, creating local degradation zones that allow controlled molecular weight reduction while preserving overall polymer integrity and performance attributes during the service life.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite polymer structure combining stable polymer segments with degradable disulfide bond segments. This composite architecture allows the polymer to exhibit both high molecular weight characteristics for mechanical strength and localized degradable bonds for environmental breakdown, achieving a balance between performance and degradability through multi-component molecular design.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If disulfide bonds are incorporated into the polymer backbone to enable cleavage and degradation, then the polymer becomes degradable through chemical or biological mechanisms, but the synthesis complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs self-service by utilizing the inherent reactivity of disulfide bonds to undergo spontaneous cleavage under environmental conditions such as exposure to reducing agents, moisture, or biological enzymes. The disulfide bonds automatically degrade the polymer without requiring external catalysts or complex activation steps, simplifying the degradation process while maintaining controlled synthesis through standard polymerization techniques.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The polymers achieve high molecular weights and tunable degradation, retaining performance attributes of commercial materials while providing a mechanism for reducing plastic waste through controlled degradation.
Implementation Method 1
A degradable polymer is provided which is a copolymer of up to 50 mol % of an organosulfur monomer comprising a cyclic disulfide group and at least 50 mol % of at least one organic monomer
Implementation Method 2
Use of an organosulfur monomer as a co-monomer introduces cleavable disulfide bonds into the primary backbone of polymer
Implementation Method 3
which renders the polymer readily degradable by chemical or biological mechanisms
Implementation Method 4
which renders the polymer readily degradable by chemical or biological mechanisms
Data Source
AI summary
A degradable polymer which is a copolymer of up to 50 mol % of an organosulfur monomer comprising a cyclic disulfide group and at least 50 mol % of at least one organic monomer selected from the group consisting of an acid functional monomer, a base functional monomer, a polar monomer, a vinyl monomer or a combination thereof. Use of an organosulfur monomer as a co-monomer introduces cleavable disulfide bonds into the primary backbone of polymer, which renders the polymer readily degradable.