Design, synthesis, and evaluation of novel polycarbonate based pressure sensitive adhesives

The functionalization of renewable and abundant carbon dioxide as a building block for industrial polymer production leads to safer designs in manufacturing of materials, decreases the dependence of fossil fuel feedstocks, and diminishes plastic waste generation due to engineered biodegradability. Through judicious catalyst design, the copolymerization of carbon dioxide and oxiranyl small molecules has not only opened new synthetic routes towards the manufacturing of novel polycarbonate architectures, but in addition, allows for the mass production of commodity plastics via raw materials derived entirely from biomass. This environmentally friendly methodology pioneered by Shohei Inoue not only accommodates polymer product with an eco-design, but in tandem serves as a means of carbon capture, mitigating the effects of global climate change. With a global market value anticipated to reach 2 billion dollars by 2026, polyacrylate resins are ubiquitous in the paint, automotive, and adhesive industries. However, the production of these non-degradable polymers compounds the rising concern of plastic pollution in the environment. Herein, the design and synthesis of polyacrylate mimetics bearing a degradable carbonate moiety in the backbone is described. The synthetic methodology utilizes a green pathway through the use of carbon dioxide as the C1 source. The thermal, chemical, and rheological properties of the materials are evaluated and compared to commercial acrylates and adhesives. Additional modification of the materials through terpolyermization is conducted, and their ability to perform as smart adhesive surfaces as well as clinical use in lung resection surgery is covered.2020-11-12T00:00:00

Sustainable polycarbonate adhesives for dry and aqueous conditions with thermoresponsive properties

Pressure sensitive adhesives are ubiquitous in commodity products such as tapes, bandages, labels, packaging, and insulation. With single use plastics comprising almost half of yearly plastic production, it is essential that the design, synthesis, and decomposition products of future materials, including polymer adhesives, are within the context of a healthy ecosystem along with comparable or superior performance to conventional materials. Here we show a series of sustainable polymeric adhesives, with an eco-design, that perform in both dry and wet environments. The terpolymerization of propylene oxide, glycidyl butyrate, and CO2, catalyzed by a cobalt salen complex bearing a quaternary ammonium salt, yields the poly(propylene-co-glycidyl butyrate carbonate)s (PPGBC)s. This polymeric adhesive system, composed of environmentally benign building blocks, implements carbon dioxide sequestration techniques, poses minimal environmental hazards, exhibits varied peel strengths from scotch tape to hot-melt wood-glue, and adheres to metal, glass, wood, and Teflon® surfaces.Published versio