Development of tin oxide catalysts promoting the ring-closing depolymerization of poly(ε-caprolactone) under mild conditions

Abstract

An effective heterogeneous catalyst for the depolymerization of poly(ε-caprolactone) into ε-caprolactone was demonstrated using a tailored SnO catalyst. The yield of ε-caprolactone reached up to 94% under mild conditions. The catalyst also exhibited excellent durability and scalability. The high catalytic performance was attributed to the formation of SnO nanoparticles generated by calcination, which provided increased surface area and accessible Sn²⁺ sites.