Issue 46, 2022

Towards degradable polyethylene: end-functionalised polyethylene (PE-X) and PE-I/LDPE blends from iron-catalysed chain growth of ZnEt2 with ethylene

Abstract

A series of end-functionalised polyethylene materials (PE-X) has been prepared via the catalysed chain growth (CCG) reaction of diethyl zinc with ethylene, catalysed by a bis(imino)pyridine iron catalyst activated by MAO. This CCG catalyst system enables the in situ formation of long alkyl chain zinc species Zn(PE)2, which are subsequently quenched to form PE-X. Quenching with oxygen results in PE-OH, but the functionalisation appears to be limited to approximately 80% due to the formation of mixed [ZnR(OR)]n clusters. Functionalisation with sulfur leads to polysulfides, PE-Sk-PE, whereby k is affected by temperature. Functionalisation with iodine leads to PE-I with high conversion, but the degree of functionalisation appears to be chain length dependant. PE-I has been blended with LDPE, either through solution mixing or via melt blending to give PE-I/LDPE blends with different chain lengths. Characterisation of the PE-I/LDPE blends has been carried by IR spectroscopy and thermal analysis (DSC). Surface analysis by FIB-SEM and EDX analysis up to 6 μm into the surface has shown a uniform distribution of PE-I within the LDPE matrix. The propensity of alkyl iodides to undergo photolytic cleavage makes these PE-I/LDPE materials interesting candidates for degradable PE.

Graphical abstract: Towards degradable polyethylene: end-functionalised polyethylene (PE-X) and PE-I/LDPE blends from iron-catalysed chain growth of ZnEt2 with ethylene

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
30 Aug 2022
Accepted
27 Oct 2022
First published
01 Nov 2022
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Polym. Chem., 2022,13, 6377-6385

Towards degradable polyethylene: end-functionalised polyethylene (PE-X) and PE-I/LDPE blends from iron-catalysed chain growth of ZnEt2 with ethylene

R. von Goetze, A. Aljaber, K. Lee, G. Hill, C. Wallis and G. J. P. Britovsek, Polym. Chem., 2022, 13, 6377 DOI: 10.1039/D2PY01123A

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