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Creators/Authors contains: "Chen, Eugene Y.-X."

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  1. Free, publicly-accessible full text available October 30, 2025
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  4. Abstract

    Geminal (gem−) disubstitution in heterocyclic monomers is an effective strategy to enhance polymer chemical recyclability by lowering their ceiling temperatures. However, the effects of specific substitution patterns on the monomer's reactivity and the resulting polymer's properties are largely unexplored. Here we show that, by systematically installinggem‐dimethyl groups onto ϵ‐caprolactam (monomer of nylon 6) from the α to ϵ positions, both the redesigned lactam monomer's reactivity and the resultinggem‐nylon 6’s properties are highly sensitive to the substitution position, with the monomers ranging from non‐polymerizable to polymerizable and thegem‐nylon properties ranging from inferior to far superior to the parent nylon 6. Remarkably, the nylon 6 with thegem‐dimethyls substituted at the γ position is amorphous and optically transparent, with a higherTg(by 30 °C), yield stress (by 1.5 MPa), ductility (by 3×), and lower depolymerization temperature (by 60 °C) than conventional nylon 6.

     
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    Free, publicly-accessible full text available April 22, 2025
  5. Free, publicly-accessible full text available February 21, 2025
  6. Replacing reactive hydrogens in the monomer improves the properties of a type of polyester in multiple respects. 
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