Yuki Maekawa’s Post

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Research Scientist 2 at Xenon Pharmaceuticals

https://lnkd.in/gptcb4Bh Polyurethane, a material with monomers linked by carbamate groups, is widely used in flexible and rigid foams, coatings, adhesives. In addition to existing recycling methods like glycolysis and mechanical recycling, the authors introduced hydrogenolysis under a hydrogen atmosphere using an Ir catalyst with a phosphine-benzimidazole bidentate ligand. This method produces formamide and alcohol from carbamate. Remarkably, the catalyst selectively breaks down the carbamate bonds while leaving other functional groups such as esters and formamide, which are generally more susceptible to harsh reduction conditions, intact. The broad substrate scope of this method is particularly significant for polyurethane recycling, as polyurethanes often contain a diverse array of monomer materials tailored to specific applications. 

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