- By:
- Foster, Jeffrey C; Dishner, Isaiah T; Zheng, Jackie ; Bocharova, Vera ; Kertesz, Vilmos ; Saito, Tomonori
- Journal Name:
- ACS Polymers Au
- Page Number:
- 399-404
- Volume:
- 6
- Issue Number:
- 1
- Publication Date:
- March 18, 2026
- View DOI Listing:
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acspolymersau.5c00157
Abstract
Block-like copolymers can be readily synthesized in one step using monomers with widely separated reactivity ratios. Here, we show that trans,trans,trans-1,5,9-cyclododecatriene (CDT), produced from polybutadiene via cyclodepolymerization (CDP), undergoes gradient copolymerization via ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) with a selected norbornene monomer to produce a block-like copolymer that exhibits bulk nanophase separation and excellent thermomechanical performance. These data highlight a new ROMP copolymerization system with a sharp compositional drift and introduce a simple pathway to convert waste plastic into a valuable building block for high-value thermoplastic materials.
