Electrocatalytic Modification and Upcycling of Polyvinylchloride and Chloroparaffins

Dr. Christo S. Sevov, Assistant Professor

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

The Ohio State University

Columbus, OH 43210

This research program will develop new reaction technologies that enable selective modification of chlorinated plastics to create materials with altered physical properties, improved lifetimes, and new end-of-life applications. Post-synthetic functionalization of polymers is critically important for modifying the physical properties of plastics that are prepared with limited control over the molecular structure. Polyvinylchloride (PVC) is an example of such a polymer, which has narrow range of macromolecular properties. Altering these properties such that PVC can be utilized in a wide range of applications requires high loadings (up to 50%) of plasticizers, toxic stabilizers, and volatile impact modifiers. These formulations limit PVC recyclability, safety, and long-term stability. As examples, PVCs containing different plasticizers cannot be recycled together. Over time, the non-covalent additives leach from PVC. Leached plasticizers present an environmental hazard and leave the resulting plastic brittle with an increased susceptibility to forming microplastics. Finally, disposal of chlorinated polymers is energy intensive because conventional approaches of polyolefin pyrolysis create corrosive and acutely-toxic products. The program objective is to develop solutions to these challenges through the discovery and mechanistic understanding of new reaction chemistries using electrocatalysis for C–Cl bond functionalization that can be applied directly on polymer chains. Through this research, the performance of PVCs will for the first time be controlled at the molecular level, rather than through formulations chemistries that rely on non-covalent additives.