Recycling of condensation polymers via ring-chain equilibria

This short review discusses the progress made toward recycling condensation polymers using ring-chain equilibria (RCEs). RCEs are the classical equilibria that can exist between a condensation polymer and the corresponding family of macrocyclic oligomers (MCOs). Using RCE, the polymer can be converted into a family of MCOs by a process known as cyclodepolymerization, and the MCOs can then be converted back into the polymer by a process known as entropically driven ring-opening polymerization. This review considers examples of cyclodepolymerizations that can be carried out on condensation polymers and entropically driven ring-opening polymerizations that can be used to prepare condensation polymers. Some of the problems that need to be addressed to make the overall process commercially viable are discussed. Copyright (c) 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.