Synergistic catalysis of imidazole acetate ionic liquids for the methanolysis of spiral poly(ethylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) under a mild condition

Alcoholysis is a potential method for the degradation of polyesters to their precursor building blocks, which can then be polymerized again to form new qualified polyester materials. This method therefore makes recycling possible in a permanent polymer-monomer-polymer loop. In this study, a series of metal-free tetrabutylphosphonium-based ionic liquids (ILs) were prepared as catalysts for the methanolysis of poly(ethylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) (PEF), which is well known as an ideal alternative to the petroleum-based plastic poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET). It was found that anions with stronger electronegativity were more efficient for the methanolysis of PEF. By adjusting the structures of the anions and cations of ILs, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazole acetate ([BMIm][OAc]) exhibited excellent catalytic activity in the methanolysis of PEF. The optimization of reaction parameters enabled the [BMIm][OAc]-catalyzed methanolysis of PEF with nearly 100% PEF degradation and a 77.6% dimethyl furan-2,5-dicarboxylate (DMFD) yield at 130 degrees C for 30 min. Furthermore, [BMIm][OAc] could keep high-activity after using for six times under the optimum conditions. Assisting with H-1 NMR, FT-IR and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, an in-depth study was performed on the feasible synergetic catalytic mechanism of [BMIm][OAc] for the methanolysis of PEF, induced by hydrogen bonds formed between reactants and [BMIm][OAc]. Finally, on the basis of experimental results and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), it was confirmed that PEF with the spiral motif could be degraded under milder conditions than PET. Therefore, this strategy of using adjustable cation and anion structures in ILs provides an opportunity to develop other more efficient ILs for the alcoholysis of furan-based polymers via a green and mild pathway.

Automated summary

In this study, metal-free tetrabutylphosphonium-based ionic liquids were used as catalysts for the methanolysis of the polyester PEF, achieving nearly 100% PEF degradation and a 77.6% DMFD yield under optimized conditions. By adjusting the structures of the ILs, the [BMIm][OAc] showed excellent catalytic activity. Furthermore, a synergetic catalytic mechanism of [BMIm][OAc] for the methanolysis of PEF was proposed based on experimental results and theoretical calculations.