Next, the sulfur-DCPD polymer was investigated in coatings applications. Accordingly, oligomer 1 was made using the optimised method (equal masses of sulfur and DCPD reacted directly at 140 °C under nitrogen for 2 hours). The product was then dissolved in a solution of chloroform (1.66 g oligomer 1 in 150 mL of chloroform) and stirred with 16.6 g of silica gel (46-63 µm particles, 60 Å pore size). The solvent was removed by rotary evaporation, providing the modified silica as a free-flowing powder, evenly coated with oligomer 1 (Fig. ). The coated silica was then transferred to a vial and cured in an oven at 140 °C for 24 hours. After this time, the polymer darkened in colour and was no longer soluble in chloroform. EDX analysis of the surface of the cured, coated silica indicated the presence of sulfur from the polymer, even after extensive washing with chloroform (Fig ). In contrast, if the polymer was not cured, this Please do not adjust margins Please do not adjust margins chloroform wash removed the polymer. This result indicated that curing renders the polymer coating resistant to solvent. Washing this material with chloroform (6 x 10 mL) removes the sulfur oligomer 1, as indicated by EDX analysis. b) Silica gel coated with cured 1 (10 wt% coating). b) The polymer darkens in colour upon curing. Washing this material with chloroform (6 x 10 mL) does not remove the polymer coating, as indicated by the sulfur signal in the EDX analysis. Both materials were effective in removing HgCl2 from water Next, the silica-coated with cured 1-was evaluated as a mercury sorbent. Mercury remediation, particularly from water, has become increasingly important to meet obligations under the Minamata Convention-the treaty that governs the use and control of this toxic metal. And while a number of sorbents for mercury are known, there still remains a need for low-cost sorbents. For this reason, polysulfides made by inverse vulcanisation have emerged as versatile materials for mercury remediation, 6, 10, 32-34 but there are few reports of mercury sorbents that are generally solvent resistant. In the oil and gas sector, for instance, there are scenarios in which mercury sorbents would have to be effective in capturing mercury from mixtures of water and hydrocarbons. We viewed the cured sulfur DCPD copolymer as a potentially useful sorbent in this context given its solvent resistance.