Polymer granules in different colors for industrial production. By Vadym for Adobe Stock
With vitrimers, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering researchers pioneer recyclable, self-healing polymer networks that combine durability with environmental responsibility
Researchers at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering are advancing materials science through groundbreaking work on vitrimers, an innovative class of polymers that could revolutionize manufacturing sustainability while enhancing material performance across industries from automotive to medical devices.
Bridging the Gap Between Recyclability and Durability
Dana Ezzeddine, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, leads a collaborative research team investigating how these dynamic polymer networks can reshape and restructure without compromising their molecular integrity. Working alongside graduate student Daniel Barzycki and Assistant Professor Ralm Ricarte, the team is exploring how precise control of cross-link density enables materials that were previously impossible: polymers that are simultaneously strong, recyclable and self-correcting.
Their findings, published in ACS Macro Letters, demonstrate a significant advancement in polymer network design. The research reveals how vitrimer chemistry can minimize structural defects that have long limited the performance of traditional polymer materials.
Understanding Vitrimer Chemistry and Its Applications
“Polymer networks serve as the backbone for a vast array of applications—from super-absorbent materials and selective membranes to life-saving biomedical devices,” Ricarte explains. “Yet, they face challenges such as tiny ‘topological defects,’ small loops and dangling connections that can quietly undermine their strength and reliability.”
Traditional polymers present an engineering compromise. Thermoplastics, like those used in water bottles, can be melted and recycled but lack structural durability. Thermosets, including tire rubber and industrial epoxies, offer exceptional strength but cannot be recycled due to their permanent chemical bonds.
Vitrimers represent a third category that transcends this limitation.
Dynamic Bond Exchange: The Science Behind Adaptability
The defining characteristic of vitrimers lies in their dynamic covalent bonds, which can rearrange through a process called dynamic bond exchange. When heated, these bonds shuffle and reorganize while maintaining the material’s network integrity, enabling both recyclability and structural optimization.
This molecular mobility provides an additional advantage: self-correction of manufacturing defects.
“Vitrimers can ‘self-correct’ those flaws using their dynamic bonds,” Ezzeddine continues. “This is a game-changer for practical applications. Imagine using vitrimer technology in self-healing car paint, where minor scratches can be repaired with just a heat gun, or in recyclable wind turbine blades, which currently pose significant disposal challenges. Our research is about crafting smarter materials that are not only less wasteful but also stronger and more reliable.”
Quantifying Performance Through Cross-Link Density Analysis
The research team developed novel methodologies to measure the total functional connections within vitrimer networks. By systematically comparing vitrimers to conventional polymer networks with identical chemical compositions but different bonding mechanisms, they demonstrated that vitrimer-based materials exhibited superior stiffness and significantly reduced topological defects.
“Using vitrimer chemistry, polymer networks can be engineered with minimal defects to behave more like the ideal structures scientists use to model performance, enabling more accurate design rules and tighter control over properties such as elasticity, toughness and transport,” Ricarte said.
This precision in material design has far-reaching implications for industries requiring both high performance and sustainability.
Environmental Impact and Circular Economy Potential
Ezzeddine’s research is motivated by the environmental challenges posed by non-recyclable high-performance materials.
“We create so many incredible high-performance materials—like the rubber in car tires or strong industrial epoxies—that are entirely unrecyclable,” she explains. “It’s due to their permanent chemical bonds and they end up in landfills. Once I learned about vitrimers, I wanted to create recyclable versions of these strong materials.”
The research demonstrates that recyclability and mechanical performance are not mutually exclusive objectives. By enabling bond rearrangement, vitrimer chemistry simultaneously improves material properties and enables end-of-life recycling.
“Our mission is to determine if leveraging dynamic bonds, those that can swap and rearrange, like in vitrimers, could minimize these defects,” Ezzeddine explains. “To explore this, we devised a method to dismantle the vitrimer network and directly measure the total connections formed. Our mechanical tests revealed that vitrimers displayed greater stiffness and significantly fewer defects than their traditional counterparts.”
Accelerating Materials Innovation Through Theory-Practice Alignment
The implications extend beyond individual material properties to the fundamental design principles governing polymer engineering.
“By suppressing these defects through vitrimer chemistry, researchers can bridge long-standing gaps between theory and real-world behavior—thereby accelerating the creation of lighter, stronger, more durable materials across industry and medicine,” Ricarte said.
“Ultimately, our work illustrates that dynamic bonds not only make materials recyclable—they also enhance their mechanical properties, rendering them stronger and more reliable for real-world applications,” Ezzeddine concluded.
The ability to design materials that more closely match theoretical models enables engineers to predict performance with greater accuracy, reducing development time and material waste during the innovation process.
Collaborative Research Infrastructure
The project exemplifies the collaborative research ecosystem at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. The team worked with Professor Emerita Rufina Alamo and the Alamo Laboratory, Professor Justin Kennemur and the Kennemur Laboratory, the High-Performance Materials Institute and the FSU Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.
The research also provided educational opportunities for emerging scientists. Naa Okantey, a Rickards High School student and summer intern, participated in a summer research experience and assisted with several experiments for the project.
Future Directions in Vitrimer Research
This team’s research establishes foundational knowledge for developing next-generation sustainable materials. By systematically investigating cross-link density—a key parameter governing how polymer chains interconnect—the scientists are pioneering new approaches in polymer science that address both performance and environmental sustainability.
Potential applications span multiple sectors, including automotive components requiring both durability and recyclability, medical devices demanding precise mechanical properties, aerospace materials requiring weight reduction without compromising strength, and renewable energy infrastructure such as wind turbine blades that currently create disposal challenges.
As industries increasingly prioritize circular economy principles, vitrimers represent a technological pathway toward materials that perform exceptionally well during use and integrate seamlessly into recycling systems at the end of their life.
Funding and Institutional Support
This work was supported primarily by the National Science Foundation. Additional support was provided by the Oak Ridge Associated Universities Foundation through the ORAU-Directed Research and Development Program. The research also received start-up funds from Florida State University and the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering.
Editor’s Note: This article was edited with a custom prompt for Claude Sonnet 4.5, an AI assistant created by Anthropic. The AI optimized the article for SEO discoverability, improved clarity, structure and readability while preserving the original reporting and factual content. All information and viewpoints remain those of the author and publication. This article was edited and fact-checked by college staff before being published. This disclosure is part of our commitment to transparency in our editorial process. Last edited: 12/11/2025.
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