Photothermal recycling of waste polyolefin plastics into liquid fuels with high selectivity under solvent-free conditions.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 37454122.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-023-40005-6 and PMC identifier 10349850.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
The widespread use of polyolefin plastics in modern societies generates huge amounts of plastic waste. With a view toward sustainability, researchers are now seeking novel and low-cost strategies for recycling and valorizing polyolefin plastics. Herein, we report the successful development of a photothermal catalytic recycling system for transforming polyolefin plastics into liquid/waxy fuels under concentrated sunlight or xenon lamp irradiation. Photothermal heating of a Ru/TiO<sub>2</sub> catalyst to 200-300 °C in the presence of polyolefin plastics results in intimate catalyst-plastic contact and controllable hydrogenolysis of C-C and C-H bonds in the polymer chains (mediated by Ru sites). By optimizing the reaction temperature and pressure, the complete conversion of waste polyolefins into valuable liquid fuels (86% gasoline- and diesel-range hydrocarbons, C<sub>5</sub>-C<sub>21</sub>) is possible in short periods (3 h). This work demonstrates a simple and efficient strategy for recycling waste polyolefin plastics using abundant solar energy.
Medical subject headings
- Plastics
- Polyenes