Front Cover: A Multitool for Circular Economy: Fast Ring‐Opening Polymerization and Chemical Recycling of (Bio)polyesters Using a Single Aliphatic Guanidine Carboxy Zinc Catalyst (ChemSusChem 12/2023)

ChemSusChem, vol. 16

Abstract

The Front Cover shows the material flows in a circular plastics economy and highlights the important role of catalysts in its future implementation. For this purpose, we present a zinc-based catalyst with a newly developed hybrid guanidine ligand. In the production of renewable polyesters our catalyst is highly active towards the ring-opening polymerization of lactide at various reaction conditions, outperforming the industrially used toxic catalyst tin octanoate. Moreover, it shows high activity in the chemical recycling of bio-based as well as petroleum-based polyesters. By using specific reaction conditions, the catalyst opens up the possibility to create new processes for the selective recycling from plastic mixtures. This multifunctionality makes our new catalyst a mediator of circular plastic flows and facilitates these material flows like a traffic circle.. More information can be found in the Research Article by M. Fuchs et al.

Authors 7

1. Martin Fuchs Aachen Institut für Anorganische Chemie

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institut für Anorganische Chemie RWTH Aachen University Landoltweg 1A 52072 Aachen Germany

2. Pascal M. Schäfer Aachen Institut für Anorganische Chemie

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institut für Anorganische Chemie RWTH Aachen University Landoltweg 1A 52072 Aachen Germany

3. Ian Krumm Aachen Institut für Anorganische Chemie

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institut für Anorganische Chemie RWTH Aachen University Landoltweg 1A 52072 Aachen Germany

4. Marcel Walbeck Aachen Institut für Anorganische Chemie

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institut für Anorganische Chemie RWTH Aachen University Landoltweg 1A 52072 Aachen Germany

5. Regina Dietrich Aachen Institut für Anorganische Chemie

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institut für Anorganische Chemie RWTH Aachen University Landoltweg 1A 52072 Aachen Germany

6. Alexander Hoffmann Aachen Institut für Anorganische Chemie

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institut für Anorganische Chemie RWTH Aachen University Landoltweg 1A 52072 Aachen Germany

7. Sonja Herres‐Pawlis corresponding Aachen Institut für Anorganische Chemie

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institut für Anorganische Chemie RWTH Aachen University Landoltweg 1A 52072 Aachen Germany