Efficient decomposition of a melamine–formaldehyde foam into melamine via selective disconnection of bonds

Abstract

The precise disconnection of one type of chemical bond in polymers realizes high-yield recovery of valuable chemicals. In this study, we demonstrate a sustainable and efficient strategy to selectively cleave the specific sp³C–sp³N bond of a thermoset melamine–formaldehyde foam, by which valuable melamine of 99.5% purity was obtained with a yield of 95.3%.