A Framework for Defining Sustainable Polymer Research

The NSF Center for Sustainable Polymers (CSP) recognizes that the field of sustainable polymers is a very active, broad, and diverse area of research. Moreover, there are social, industrial, and technical definitions, permutations, and uses of the word sustainable that can cloud the meaning of “sustainable polymer” research.

To that end, the CSP sought to holistically define a sustainable polymer. The purpose of this is to develop a tool that researchers can use to articulate and communicate the aspects of their individual research project that meet this definition. Our goal is to introduce an integrated systems-thinking approach that considers the interconnection of all sustainable polymer criteria and their potential impact across the environment, economy, and society.ⁱ

FEEDSTOCK

Renewable Feedstock
Waste Feedstock
Recycled Feedstock

Feedstock Publications

PROCESS

Non-hazardous
Energy/resource efficient
Waste prevention

Process Publications

INTENDED USE

Competitive properties
Economically viable
Safe-in-use

Intended Use Publications

END-OF-USE

Chemically recyclable
Biodegradable
Reprocessable

End-of-Use Publications

Researchers can associate their individual projects with one or more sub-categories, recognizing that they are not weighted equally; that is, there is not a direct correlation between the number of categories met and the sustainability of a polymer. Overall, the Sustainable Polymer Framework is meant to encourage focused advancement in fundamental research in the various sub-categories while maintaining a broader vision of the interconnected systems that define a sustainable polymer.

ⁱ Anastas, P. A. Beyond reductionism thinking in chemistry for sustainability. Trends in Chemistry, 2019, 1, 145–148.

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INFOGRAPHIC

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SPF Infographic

INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH, INTERCONNECTION, AND THE NET IMPACT ACROSS THE ENVIRONMENT, ECONOMY, AND SOCIETY

SELECT PUBLICATIONS

Feedstock (Back to top)

Wu, Y.; Shetty, M.; Zhang, K.; Dauenhauer, P. J. Sustainable hybrid route to renewable methacrylic acid via biomass-derived citramalate. ACS Eng. Au 2021.
Wang, Z. Q.; Song, H.; Koleski, E. J.; Hara, N.; Park, D. S.; Kumar, G.; Min, Y.; Dauenhauer, P. J.; Chang, M. C. Y. A dual cellular–heterogeneous catalyst strategy for the production of olefins from glucose. Nat. Chem. 2021, 13, 1178–1185.
Dong, H.; Chang, M. C. Y. Structural basis for branched substrate selectivity in a ketoreductase from Ascaris suum. ACS Catal. 2021, 11, 8948–8955.
Guptill, D. M.; Chinta, B. S.; Kaicharla, T.; Xu, S.; Hoye, T. R. β-Methyl-δ-valerolactone-containing thermoplastic poly(ester-amide)s: Synthesis, mechanical properties, and degradation behavior. Polym. Chem. 2021, 12, 1310–1316.
Sajjad, H.; Lillie, L. M.; Lau, C. M.; Ellison, C. J.; Tolman, W. B.; Reineke, T. M. Degradable polyanhydride networks derived from itaconic acid. Polym. Chem. 2021, 12, 608–617.
DeRosa, C. A.; Luke, A. M.; Anderson, K.; Reineke, T. M.; Tolman, W. B.; Bates, F. S.; Hillmyer, M. A. Regioregular polymers from biobased (R)-1,3-butylene carbonate. Macromolecules 2021, 54, 5974–5984.

Process (Back to top)

Popowski, Y.; Lu, Y.; Coates, G. W.; Tolman, W. B. Stereocomplexation of stereoregular aliphatic polyesters: Change from amorphous to semicrystalline polymers with single stereocenter inversion. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2022, 144, 8362–8370.
Pang, Y.; Ardagh, M. A.; Shetty, M.; Chatzidimitriou, A.; Kumar, G.; Vlaisavljevich, B.; Dauenhauer, P. J. On the spatial design of co-fed amines for selective dehydration of methyl lactate to acrylates. ACS Catal. 2021, 11, 5718–5735.
Sangroniz, L.; Jang, Y.-J.; Hillmyer, M. A.; Müller, A. J. The role of intermolecular interactions on melt memory and thermal fractionation of semicrystalline polymers. J. Chem. Phys. 2022, 156, 144902.
Sajjad, H.; Prebihalo, E. A.; Tolman, W. B.; Reineke, T. M. Ring opening polymerization of β-acetoxy-δ-methylvalerolactone, a triacetic acid lactone derivative. Polym. Chem. 2021, 12, 6724–6730.
Porwal, M. K.; Reddi, Y.; Saxon, D. J.; Cramer, C. J.; Ellison, C. J.; Reineke. T. M. Stereoregular functionalized polysaccharides via cationic ring-opening polymerization of biomass-derived levoglucosan. Chem. Sci. 2022, 13, 4512-4522.
Lu, Y.; Swisher, J. H.; Meyer, T. Y.; Coates, G. W. Chirality-directed regioselectivity: An approach for the synthesis of alternating poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid). J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143, 4119–4124.

Intended Use (Back to top)

Lee, B.; Maher, M. J.; Schibur, H. J.; Hillmyer, M. A.; Bates, F. S. Toughening polylactide with graft-block polymers. ACS Appl. Polym. Mater. 2022, 4, 3408–3416.
Robertson, B.P.; Calabrese, M.A. Evaporation-controlled dripping-onto-substrate (DoS) extensional rheology of viscoelastic polymer solutions. Sci. Rep. 2022, 12, 4697.
Fournier, L.; Rivera Mirabal, D. M.; Hillmyer, M. A. Toward sustainable elastomers from the grafting-through polymerization of lactone-containing polyester macromonomers. Macromolecules 2022, 55, 1003–1014.
Rosenbloom, S. I.; Hsu, J. H.; Fors, B. P. Controlling the shape of the molecular weight distribution for tailored tensile and rheological properties in thermoplastics and thermoplastic elastomers. J. Polym. Sci. 2022, 60, 1291–1299.
Spring, S. W.; Smith-Sweetser, R. O.; Rosenbloom, S. I.; Sifri, R. J.; Fors, B. P. Sustainable thermoplastic elastomers produced via cationic RAFT polymerization. Polym. Chem. 2021, 12, 1097–1104.

End-of-Use (Back to top)

Swartz, J. L.; Sheppard, D. T.; Haugstad, G.; Dichtel, W. R. Blending polyurethane thermosets using dynamic urethane exchange. Macromolecules 2021, 54, 11126–11133.
Batiste, D. C.; De Hoe, G. X.; Nelson, T. F.; Sodnikar, K.; McNeill, K.; Sander, M.; Hillmyer, M. A. Site-specific mineralization of a polyester hydrolysis product in natural soil. ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng. 2022, 10, 1373–1378.
Kim, H. J.; Hillmyer, M. A.; Ellison, C. J. Enhanced polyester degradation through transesterification with salicylates. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143, 15784–15790.
Reisman, L.; Siehr, A.; Horn, J.; Batiste, D. C.; Kim, H. J.; De Hoe, G. X.; Ellison, C. J. Shen, W.; White, E. M.; Hillmyer, M. A. Respirometry and cell viability studies for sustainable polyesters and their hydrolysis products. ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng. 2021, 9, 2736–2744.
Rangamani, A.; Alabi, C. A. Effect of backbone and end-group regioisomerism on thermomechanical properties of vanillin-based polyurethane networks. Polym. Chem. 2021, 12, 1720-1720.
Sheppard, D. T.; Jin, K.; Hamachi, L. S.; Dean, W.; Fortman, D. J.; Ellison, C. J.; Dichtel, W. R. Reprocessing postconsumer polyurethane foam using carbamate exchange catalysis and twin-screw extrusion. ACS Cent. Sci. 2020, 6, 921–927.
Nomura, K.; Peng, X.; Kim, H.; Jin, K.; Kim, H.-J.; Bratton, A.; Bond, C. R.; Broman, A.; Miller, K. M.; Ellison, C. J. Multiblock copolymers for recycling polyethylene-poly(ethylene terephthalate) mixed waste. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2020, 12, 9726–9735.
Jin, K.; Banerji, A.; Kitto, D.; Bates, F. S.; Ellison, C. J. Mechanically robust and recyclable cross-linked fibers from melt blown anthracene-functionalized commodity polymers. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2019, 11, 12863–12870.