Waterproof, Chemically Durable, and Closed-Loop Recyclable Poly(vinyl alcohol) Plastic Enabled by Dynamic Covalent Modification

The development of recyclable polymer materials is the main method to deal with environmental pollution and resource waste. As one of the effective methods, dynamic covalent bonds can be introduced into polymer networks to realize the closed-loop recycling and utilization of materials. In this paper, we introduce a borate ester bond and anthracene functional groups into common poly(vinyl alcohol) by adding 9-anthraceneboronic acid. The dynamic borate ester bond can be used to construct a dynamic covalent polymer network, and the water resistance of plastics can be improved by the hydrophobicity of anthracene, and anthracene can also be depolymerized and recycled by heating after photo-crosslinking. Due to the advantages of easy preparation, high mechanical strength and toughness, good water resistance, chemical durability, and easy recycling, poly(vinyl alcohol) anthraceneboronic acid (PVA-ABA) is a promising composite material suitable for sustainable engineering applications to avoid environmental impact and waste of resources.