Current Challenges and Perspectives in CO2-Based Polymers

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is considered a renewable one-carbon building block for chemical synthesis owing to its abundance, low toxicity, nonflammability, and availability. The incorporation of CO2 into the polymer backbone affords various ester-or carbonyl-containing moieties, which create desired material properties and impart unique degradability after use under microbial conditions. In this Perspective, we focus on critical advances in CO2-derived polymers and highlight catalytic strategies, novel conceptual routes, and potential application fields. The outlook and perspective are provided to describe the future challenges and new strategies for establishing CO2-based polymers with desired performances and economic competitiveness comparable to that of petroleum-based materials.

Automated summary

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a renewable building block for chemical synthesis, offering advantages like abundance, low toxicity, nonflammability, and availability. Incorporating CO2 into polymers provides desirable material properties and unique degradability under microbial conditions. This Perspective highlights recent advances, catalytic strategies, conceptual routes, and potential applications of CO2-derived polymers, while also discussing future challenges and new strategies for developing CO2-based polymers with desired performance and economic competitiveness comparable to petroleum-based materials.