title: A high-performance recycling solution for polystyrene achieved by the synthesis of renewable poly(thioether) networks derived from D-limonene.
abstract: Nanocomposite polymers are prepared using a new sustainable materials synthesis process in which d-Limonene functions simultaneously both as a solvent for recycling polystyrene (PS) waste and as a monomer that undergoes UV-catalyzed thiol-ene polymerization reactions with polythiol comonomers to afford polymeric products composed of precipitated PS phases dispersed throughout elastomeric poly(thioether) networks. These blended networks exhibit mechanical properties that greatly exceed those of either polystyrene or the poly(thioether) network homopolymers alone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, 3120 TAMU, 5045 Emerging Technologies, College Station, Texas, 77843-3120, USA.
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hearon
authors.forename: Landon D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Nash
authors.forename: Jennifer N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: Alexander T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Lonnecker
authors.forename: Jeffery E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Raymond
authors.forename: Thomas S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Karen L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Wooley
authors.forename: Duncan J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Maitland
mesh_terms: D001628:Beverages / Q000032:analysis; D060326:Chemistry Techniques, Synthetic; D053138:Cyclohexenes / Q000737:chemistry*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005506:Food Contamination; D000077222:Limonene; D058105:Polymerization; D011108:Polymers / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D011137:Polystyrenes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013440:Sulfides / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D013729:Terpenes / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D053138:Cyclohexenes; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D011108:Polymers; D011137:Polystyrenes; D013440:Sulfides; D013729:Terpenes; D000077222:Limonene
keywords: nanocomposites; recycling; renewable polymers; thiol-ene click chemistry