Breaking of C-N bonds in epoxy resins via an oxidation-Cope elimination pathway

Breaking of C-N bonds in epoxy resins via an oxidation-Cope elimination pathway | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Breaking of C-N bonds in epoxy resins via an oxidation-Cope elimination pathway zhihuan weng, Beitao Liu, Runyue Mao, Xiaotong Pan, Cijian Zhang, and 7 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7203604/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The strong cross-linked network structure of fiber-reinforced epoxy composites gives them excellent mechanical properties but also makes them difficult to recycle after disposal. Expensive catalysts or undesirable oxidants are often required to degrade such stable material. In this work, we report a DMSO-dissolution method that can recycle amine-cured epoxy resins as well as commercial composites using only dimethyl sulfoxide in air. By selectively breaking C–N bonds via an oxidation-Cope elimination mechanism, fiber recovery and resin matrix upcycling can be achieved. A high products mass recovery (> 98%) can be attained from the degradation of resin matrices, which can be used as wood adhesives with adhesive strength comparable to commercial glues. Our results can be easily extended to degradation of other polymers with tertiary amine structures. Physical sciences/Chemistry/Green chemistry/Sustainability Physical sciences/Chemistry/Environmental chemistry/Pollution remediation Physical sciences/Chemistry/Organic chemistry/Reaction mechanisms Earth and environmental sciences/Environmental sciences/Environmental chemistry/Pollution remediation Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files supplementaryInformationNatureSustainability.docx SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7203604","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":496997578,"identity":"ecb8919f-0643-42c0-935e-f12327bf3528","order_by":0,"name":"zhihuan 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