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Sustainability in Polymers: from Construction to Deconstruction
| Date | 06 May 2025 |
| Time | 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm (HKT) |
| Venue | Lecture Theatre P3, Chong Yuet Ming Physics Building |
| Speaker | Dr. Peng LIU |
| Institution | Department of Materials ETH Zurich, Switzerland |
Title:
Sustainability in Polymers: from Construction to Deconstruction
Schedule:
Date: 6th May, 2025 (Tuesday)
Time: 4 - 5 pm (HKT)
Venue: Lecture Theatre P3, Chong Yuet Ming Physics Building
Speaker:
Dr. Peng LIU
Department of Materials
ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Biography:
Dr. Peng Liu obtained his PhD degree in Polymer Chemistry from the University of Fribourg, Switzerland in January 2020, under the supervision of Prof. Andreas Kilbinger. His doctoral research focused on the synthesis of telechelic polymers via ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP).
Following his PhD, Peng joined the Adolphe-Merkle Institute in Switzerland as a joint postdoctoral researcher in the groups of Profs. Nico Bruns, Michael Mayer, and Christoph Weder, where he developed mechanically triggered, on-demand degradation strategies for all-carbon-backbone polymers.
In September 2021, Peng moved to the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) to work in Prof. Maxwell Robb's group as a Swiss National Science Foundation Early Mobility Postdoctoral Fellow, where he advanced his research in polymer mechanochemistry.
In June 2023, he joined Prof. Tae-Lim Choi's group as a senior postdoctoral researcher at ETH Zurich. In October 2024, Peng was awarded an Ambizione grant from the Swiss National Science Foundation, enabling him to establish his independent research group in the Department of Materials at ETH Zurich as a none tenure-track Lecturer/Senior Scientist. His current work focuses on developing innovative strategies for sustainable polymers.
Abstract:
Polymer-based materials are indispensable to modern life, yet their widespread use presents significant challenges related to energy consumption, environmental pollution, and climate change. In this seminar, I will discuss our recent efforts to address these issues through innovations in both polymer synthesis and end-of-life degradation.
Traditional ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) suffers from a fundamental limitation: the catalyst remains covalently bound to the polymer chain end, necessitating stoichiometric amounts of expensive and potentially toxic transition metal complexes, especially problematic for low-molecular-weight polymers. To overcome this, we have developed two new catalytic ROMP strategies, including a catalytic living ROMP method. These approaches drastically reduce catalyst loading, providing a more economical and environmentally sustainable route for ROMP-based polymer synthesis.
To address polymer end-of-life challenges, particularly for commodity plastics, we recently introduced a novel cyclobutene-based monomer. This monomer can be copolymerized with conventional monomers to impart mechanically triggered, on-demand degradability to otherwise robust polymers. Upon mechanical activation, the embedded cyclobutene units undergo ring-opening, initiating structural rearrangements that render the polymer backbone susceptible to hydrolysis under mild conditions. The resulting copolymers retain the thermal and mechanical performance of traditional materials but can be selectively degraded into low-molecular-weight fragments, which are amenable to repolymerization, thus enabling a closed-loop recycling process.
Together, these advances highlight a dual strategy for enhancing the sustainability of polymer materials, from their efficient synthesis to their controlled degradation and reuse.
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