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Polymers
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Application and Development of Polymer-Based Catalysts
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Application and Development of Polymer-Based Catalysts

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Smart and Functional Polymers".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 2415

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Zhengbo Han

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Chemistry, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036, China
Interests: porous MOFs design; heterogeneous catalysis; polyoxometalates

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, polymer-based catalysts have emerged as a transformative force in the field of catalysis. By ingeniously integrating the unique features of polymers with catalytic functionalities, they have revolutionized reaction dynamics. The modular architecture of these catalysts allows for the meticulous regulation of reaction pathways, thereby significantly enhancing reaction efficiency while minimizing environmental footprint.

With their versatile nature, polymer-based catalysts have found extensive utility across multiple domains. In organic synthesis, they enable a diverse array of chemical transformations with high selectivity. In the energy sector, they play a crucial role in key processes, facilitating the transition towards sustainable energy solutions. Additionally, in environmental remediation, these catalysts prove instrumental in purifying polluted environments, showcasing their remarkable potential in addressing pressing ecological challenges.

Prof. Dr. Zhengbo Han
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • polymers
  • catalysts
  • organic synthesis
  • separation
  • energy sector

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 2268 KB  
Article
Mechanistic Insights into the Ring-Opening Polymerization of Cyclic Esters Catalyzed by Phosphonium Carboxybetaines and Catalyst Design
by Hanghang Li, Wanpeng Xue, Xinyue Zhang, Siyu Ge, Xiaohui Kang and Houli Zhang
Polymers 2026, 18(5), 663; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18050663 - 8 Mar 2026
Viewed by 546
Abstract
Aliphatic polyesters, widely used in biomedicine due to their biocompatibility and biodegradability, are typically synthesized via the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of cyclic esters. Although traditional metal catalysts are highly active, their biological toxicity limits their applications. Organocatalysts, particularly natural organic molecules, offer safer [...] Read more.
Aliphatic polyesters, widely used in biomedicine due to their biocompatibility and biodegradability, are typically synthesized via the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of cyclic esters. Although traditional metal catalysts are highly active, their biological toxicity limits their applications. Organocatalysts, particularly natural organic molecules, offer safer alternatives. We explored the ROP mechanisms of cyclic esters (L-Lactide (L-LA), ε-caprolactone (ε-CL), and δ-valerolactone (δ-VL)) catalyzed by phosphonium carboxybetaines (PCBs, (PhR)3P+(CH2)2COO−, R = H(PCB), F(PCB-F) and OMe(PCB-OMe)) through density functional theory (DFT) computations. The DFT results revealed that the ROP of cyclic esters follows a bifunctional–cooperative activation mechanism, wherein the phosphonium moiety (Ph3P+(CH2)2) activates the monomer via an extensive hydrogen-bonding interaction network, and the carboxylate (COO−) serves as a proton acceptor to enhance the nucleophilicity of the initiator phenylpropanol (PPA). In contrast, unsubstituted PCB exhibited the lowest energy barrier, being consistent with the highest catalytic activity among PCB derivatives observed experimentally. Moreover, a series of novel PCB derivatives (Ph3P+(CH2)nCOO−, n = 3–6 (PCB1-PCB4)) were designed by regulating the carbon spacer length, and their catalytic performances were computationally tested. The designed catalyst PCB2 (Ph3P+(CH2)4COO−) exhibited higher activity for the ROP of L-LA, attributed to providing sufficient flexibility to minimize deformation while improving proton-accepting capability. Similarly, PCB2 also demonstrated superior catalytic activity for δ-VL and the more challenging ε-CL monomer. This work not only clarifies the intrinsic catalytic nature of these zwitterionic organocatalysts, but also provides an effective strategy for the rational design of high-performance, metal-free catalysts for the synthesis of sustainable polyesters. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application and Development of Polymer-Based Catalysts)
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14 pages, 2552 KB  
Article
Architecting Porosity Through Monomer Engineering: Hypercrosslinked Polymers for Highly Selective CO2 Capture from CH4 or N2
by Lin Liu, Qi Zhang, Xue Leng, Rui Song and Zheng-Bo Han
Polymers 2025, 17(12), 1592; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17121592 - 6 Jun 2025
Viewed by 1394
Abstract
Natural gas purification and the mitigation of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from flue gases are critical steps in alleviating the greenhouse effect and significantly mitigate multiple environmental challenges associated with global warming. Hypercrosslinked polymers (HCPs) have become a hot topic as [...] Read more.
Natural gas purification and the mitigation of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from flue gases are critical steps in alleviating the greenhouse effect and significantly mitigate multiple environmental challenges associated with global warming. Hypercrosslinked polymers (HCPs) have become a hot topic as prospective adsorbents for gas purification and separation, owing to their low cost and scalability. Hence, TPB-Ben, TPB-Nap, and TPB-Ant were synthesized through a solvent knitting strategy, with the modification in the size of the monomers serving as a distinctive feature. This alteration aimed to explore the impact of phenyl ring quantity on the polymers’ gas adsorption and separation efficiency. All HCPs showed outstanding selective separation capability of CO2 from CO2/CH4 and CO2/N2 mixtures, such as TPB-Ben-3-2 (CO2/CH4: 10.77; CO2/N2: 59.72), TPB-Nap-3-2 (CO2/CH4: 9.12; CO2/N2: 61.31), and TPB-Ant-3-2 (CO2/CH4: 10.00; CO2/N2: 62.89), which could be potential candidate adsorbents for natural gas purification and CO2 capture. Considering the mild reaction conditions, low cost, efficient gas adsorption, and the potential for scalable production, these polymers are considered ideal selective solid adsorbents for capturing CO2. This further highlights the significance of the solvent knitting strategy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application and Development of Polymer-Based Catalysts)
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