"Designing the Death of a Plastic": Off With Its (Plastic) Head!

Article Title: "Designing the Death of a Plastic"
Author: Xiaozhi Lim
Posted: August 6th, 2018
Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/06/science/plastics-polymers-pollution.html

Picture 1: A piece of plastic is being melted by Dr. Feinburg in his
lab. White light totaling one watt per square centimeter was used
to eat through a plastic sample.

                With only approximately 10% of plastic products being recycled, the effects of traditional plastics can be seen in the environment and in the animal kingdom. Synthetic polymers, like polyethylene and polypropylene, are commonly used because of their low cost and durability. However, scientists are now exploring the possibility of “self-destructing” plastics that can be broken down on command. In turn, these compounds are able to be reused on command. Several scientists, like Dr. Adam Feinberg from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, began to explore the challenge.   

                The article states that the biggest challenge that the scientists face are the two conflicting requirements for the new plastics: it must be durable, but also degradable. The starting point for the experiments included finding traditionally overlooked polymers (due to their instability) that could be forced into longer chains. From there, experimenters would “trap the resulting polymers.”  In Dr. Feinberg’s work, he “trapped” stable looped polymers, and then added a light-sensitive dye. When a light was shone on the dyed plastic, the dyed molecules rip electrons out of the polymer structure. In turn, this started the breakdown of the polymer chain.

                According to the article, the exploration of durable and degradable products will unlikely replace the plastic used in grocery bags or water bottles. However, the article explains that scientists are exploring using this technology in biomedical implants, in drug delivery systems, and in electronics. Several labs across the world are exploring this concept and its implications. Dr. Elizabeth Gillies, a polymer chemist at Western University of London, Ontario, explained that researchers need to find molecules that were "safe and benign". The article explained that Dr. Gillies explored the possibility of using glyoxylate. Glyoxylate occurs naturally in different micro-organisms found in soil. 

Picture 2: The structural formula for glyoxylate, C2H2O3

                This article appears to promote chemistry on a positive light. While the article does not explicitly say that chemistry is good or bad, the language used conveys hopefulness. The issues with traditional plastics and their disposal are addressed. Rather than blaming their plastics chemical makeup, the article focuses on how parts of the problem can be fixed. There is no condemning science. Rather, the article speaks about how science can be used to help fix the problem. 

References:

Picture 1: French, L. (2018, August 06). [Photograph found in The New York Times]. Retrieved September 02, 2018, from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/06/science/plastics-polymers-pollution.html

Picture 2: National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound Database; CID=3614358, https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/3614358 (accessed Sept. 3, 2018).