ECO-CBET: A Convergent Approach to the Rational Design of Controllably Degradable Polymers using Sustainable Nanocomposites and Biodegradable-Additives

石油衍生聚合物或塑料在日常生活中发挥着至关重要的作用。不幸的是，它们很难回收，进入环境的塑料废物会抵抗自然过程的降解。研究人员的目标是通过理解和建模塑料降解过程来应对塑料废物和污染的关键挑战。这些知识将有助于开发专门设计的替代塑料产品，以尽量减少其对环境的影响。为了实现他们的目标，研究人员计划开发创新方法来解聚现有的商品塑料，并加入环保的填充材料，包括氧化石墨烯和蛋白质。天然金属盐催化剂将促进这些过程。塑料降解产物将被实时表征，先进的计算机模拟将用于了解降解过程。该项目以学习和优化周期为中心，从聚合物合成和改性、实时分析和建模中获得的知识为设计具有理想性能的新型塑料提供了信息。聚合研究方法利用了该团队在聚合物，分析和环境化学以及分子模拟方面的专业知识。此外，研究人员还将参与教育推广活动，以促进环境科学，聚合物化学和回收意识。从石油原料中提取的聚合物有许多重要的应用，但其环境持久性和低效的回收方法带来了重大的废物管理挑战。该项目的重点是使用两种方法从商品塑料中开发纳米复合材料：（1）引入氧化石墨烯和（2）引入蛋白质填料。研究人员将探索涉及金属盐的新型催化方法来降解商品聚合物，促进纳米复合材料的合成。为了评估这些纳米复合材料作为现有塑料替代品的潜力，该团队将分析材料的热机械性能，渗透性和降解特性。为了评估材料对环境的影响，研究人员将对塑料降解产物、聚合物界面、反应动力学和产生的微米/纳米颗粒进行详细的分子水平分析。此外，他们将使用分子模拟来了解潜在的分子机制，优化聚合物改性反应条件，并提高这些新型材料的性能。该项目的最终目标是通过复杂的分析方法了解聚合物降解过程，并利用这些知识创造上级聚合物纳米复合材料替代品。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Petroleum-derived polymers, or plastics, play a vital role in everyday life. Unfortunately, they can be difficult to recycle, and plastic waste that enters the environment resists degradation by natural processes. The researchers aim to tackle the critical challenges of plastic waste and pollution by understanding and modeling plastic degradation processes. This knowledge will be instrumental in developing alternative plastic products specifically designed to minimize their environmental impact. To achieve their goal, the researchers plan to develop innovative methods for depolymerizing existing commodity plastics and incorporating environmentally-friendly filler materials, including graphene oxide and proteins. Natural metal salt catalysts will facilitate these processes. The plastic degradation products will be characterized in real-time, and advanced computer simulations will be used to understand the degradation processes. The project centers on a learning and optimization cycle, where knowledge gained from polymer synthesis and modification, real-time analysis, and modeling inform the design of novel plastics with desirable properties. The convergent research approach leverages the team's expertise in polymer, analytical, and environmental chemistry and molecular simulation. Furthermore, the researchers will engage in educational outreach activities to promote environmental science, polymer chemistry, and recycling awareness.Polymers derived from petroleum feedstocks have many important applications, but their environmental persistence and inefficient recycling methods pose significant waste management challenges. This project focuses on developing nanocomposite materials from commodity plastics using two approaches: (1) incorporating graphene oxide and (2) introducing protein fillers. The researchers will explore novel catalytic methods involving metal salts to degrade commodity polymers, facilitating the synthesis of nanocomposites. To evaluate the potential of these nanocomposites as replacements for existing plastics, the team will analyze the materials’ thermomechanical properties, permeability, and degradation characteristics. To assess the environmental impact of the materials, the researchers will conduct a detailed molecular-level analysis of the plastic degradation products, polymer interfaces, reaction kinetics, and produced micro/nanoparticles. Additionally, they will use molecular simulation to understand the underlying molecular mechanisms, optimize polymer modification reaction conditions, and enhance the performance of these novel materials. The ultimate project objective is to understand polymer degradation processes through sophisticated analytical methods and leverage this knowledge to create superior polymer nanocomposite alternatives.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.