1
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Miao C, Wang Q, Yang S, Tang Y, Liu X, Lu S. Hydrothermal route upcycling surgical masks into dual-emitting carbon dots as ratiometric fluorescent probe for Cr (VI) and corrosion inhibitor in saline solution. Talanta 2024; 275:126070. [PMID: 38678920 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2024.126070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Exploration effective route to convert plastic waste into valuable carbon dots with bifunction of metal fluorescence monitoring and corrosion protection in seawater is promising. Herein, using "white-pollution" polypropylene surgical masks as a single precursor, dual-emitting carbon dots (CDs) with excellent ratiometric fluorescent sensitivity and corrosion inhibitor efficiency were fabricated with high yield (∼100 %) by a one-pot in situ acid oxidation hydrothermal strategy without post-treatment and organic solvents. Chemical, structural, morphological, optical properties and the Cr (VI) detection and Cu inhibition mechanism of the synthesized CDs had been systematically studied. Furthermore, a dual-response-OFF proportional fluorescent probe had been developed for the detection of the analyte Cr (VI) with a low detection limit of 24 nM. Additionally, the corrosion inhibition efficiency of the prepared CDs reached approximately 94.01 % for Cu substrate in 3.5 wt% NaCl electrolyte under a CDs concentration of 200 mg/L, which is higher than that of most previous reports.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caiqin Miao
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Qun Wang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China.
| | - Shuang Yang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Yihui Tang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Xiyan Liu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Songtao Lu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
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2
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Crystal Thew XE, Lo SC, Ramanan RN, Tey BT, Huy ND, Chien Wei O. Enhancing plastic biodegradation process: strategies and opportunities. Crit Rev Biotechnol 2024; 44:477-494. [PMID: 36788704 DOI: 10.1080/07388551.2023.2170861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
Plastic biodegradation has emerged as a sustainable approach and green alternative in handling the ever-increasing accumulation of plastic wastes in the environment. The complete biodegradation of polyethylene terephthalate is one of the most recent breakthroughs in the field of plastic biodegradation. Despite the success, the effective and complete biodegradation of a wide variety of plastics is still far from the practical implementation, and an on-going effort has been mainly devoted to the exploration of novel microorganisms and enzymes for plastic biodegradation. However, alternative strategies which enhance the existing biodegradation process should not be neglected in the continuous advancement of this field. Thus, this review highlights various strategies which have shown to improve the biodegradation of plastics, which include the pretreatment of plastics using UV irradiation, thermal, or chemical treatments to increase the susceptibility of plastics toward microbial action. Alternative pretreatment strategies are also suggested and compared with the existing techniques. Besides, the effects of additives such as pro-oxidants, natural polymers, and surfactants on plastic biodegradation are discussed. In addition, considerations governing the biodegradation performance, such as the formulation of biodegradation medium, cell-free biocatalysis, and physico-chemical properties of plastics, are addressed. Lastly, the challenges and future prospects for the advancement of plastic biodegradation are also highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Er Crystal Thew
- Chemical Engineering Discipline, School of Engineering, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Malaysia
| | - Sewn Cen Lo
- Chemical Engineering Discipline, School of Engineering, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Malaysia
| | | | - Beng Ti Tey
- Chemical Engineering Discipline, School of Engineering, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Malaysia
- Advanced Engineering Platform, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Malaysia
| | - Nguyen Duc Huy
- Institute of Biotechnology, Hue University, Hue, Vietnam
| | - Ooi Chien Wei
- Chemical Engineering Discipline, School of Engineering, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Malaysia
- Advanced Engineering Platform, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Malaysia
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3
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Smak TJ, de Peinder P, Van der Waal JC, Altink R, Vollmer I, Weckhuysen BM. Oxidative Conversion of Polyethylene Towards Di-Carboxylic Acids: A Multi-Analytical Approach. CHEMSUSCHEM 2024; 17:e202301198. [PMID: 38009265 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202301198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/28/2023]
Abstract
To reduce the pressure on the environment created by the increasing amount of plastic waste, the need to develop suitable plastic recycling methods has become more evident. However, the chemical recycling toolbox for polyethylene (PE), the most abundant type of plastic waste, remains underdeveloped. In this work, analytical methods were developed to explore the possibility to oxidatively convert PE into di-carboxylic acids as reaction products. A multi-analytical approach including gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, gas chromatography-flame ionization detection, several (2D) nuclear magnetic resonance methods as well as in-situ transmission infrared spectroscopy was used. This led to a thorough qualitative and quantitative analysis on the product mixture, which extends and clarifies the existing literature. Without a catalyst (thermally) already up to 7 mol % di-carboxylic acids can be formed. Furthermore, it was found that the majority of the oxidized functionalities are carboxylic acids, (methyl) ketones, γ-lactones, γ-ketones and esters. An intra-molecular hydrogen shift seemed key in the cleavage step and the formation of late-stage side products. In addition, crosslinking reactions due to esterification reactions seem to limit the di-carboxylic acid yield. Therefore, these two handles can be taken into account to study and design similar (catalytic) systems for the oxidative conversion of plastic waste.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom J Smak
- Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis group, Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science and Institute for Sustainable and Circular Chemistry, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 99, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Peter de Peinder
- Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis group, Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science and Institute for Sustainable and Circular Chemistry, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 99, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Rinke Altink
- TNO, Brightsite, Urmonderbaan 22, 6167 RD, Geleen, The Netherlands
| | - Ina Vollmer
- Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis group, Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science and Institute for Sustainable and Circular Chemistry, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 99, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Bert M Weckhuysen
- Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis group, Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science and Institute for Sustainable and Circular Chemistry, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 99, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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4
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Schwab S, Baur M, Nelson TF, Mecking S. Synthesis and Deconstruction of Polyethylene-type Materials. Chem Rev 2024; 124:2327-2351. [PMID: 38408312 PMCID: PMC10941192 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Polyethylene deconstruction to reusable smaller molecules is hindered by the chemical inertness of its hydrocarbon chains. Pyrolysis and related approaches commonly require high temperatures, are energy-intensive, and yield mixtures of multiple classes of compounds. Selective cleavage reactions under mild conditions (
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon
T. Schwab
- Chair of Chemical Materials Science,
Department of Chemistry, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Maximilian Baur
- Chair of Chemical Materials Science,
Department of Chemistry, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Taylor F. Nelson
- Chair of Chemical Materials Science,
Department of Chemistry, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Stefan Mecking
- Chair of Chemical Materials Science,
Department of Chemistry, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
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5
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Lv H, Huang F, Zhang F. Upcycling Waste Plastics with a C-C Backbone by Heterogeneous Catalysis. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2024; 40:5077-5089. [PMID: 38358312 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c03866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Plastics with an inert carbon-carbon (C-C) backbone, such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), are the most widely used types of plastic in human activities. However, many of these polymers were directly discarded in nature after use, and few were appropriately recycled. This not only threatens the natural environment but also leads to the waste of carbon resources. Conventional chemical recycling of these plastics, including pyrolysis and catalytic cracking, requires a high energy input due to the chemical inertness of C-C bonds and C-H bonds and leads to complex product distribution. In recent years, significant progress has been made in the development of catalysts and the introduction of small molecules as additional coreactants, which could potentially overcome these challenges. In this Review, we summarize and highlight catalytic strategies that address these issues in upcycling C-C backbone plastics with small molecules, particularly in heterogeneous catalysis. We believe that this review will inspire the development of upcycling methods for C-C backbone plastics using small molecules and heterogeneous catalysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huidong Lv
- National Engineering Laboratory of Eco-Friendly Polymeric Materials (Sichuan), College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, Sichuan People's Republic of China
| | - Fei Huang
- National Engineering Laboratory of Eco-Friendly Polymeric Materials (Sichuan), College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, Sichuan People's Republic of China
| | - Fan Zhang
- National Engineering Laboratory of Eco-Friendly Polymeric Materials (Sichuan), College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, Sichuan People's Republic of China
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6
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Lou X, Liu F, Li Q, Chu M, Wang G, Chen J, Cao M. Advances in solar-driven, electro/photoelectrochemical, and microwave-assisted upcycling of waste polyesters. Chem Commun (Camb) 2024; 60:2828-2838. [PMID: 38362916 DOI: 10.1039/d3cc05930h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Plastic waste in the environment causes significant environmental pollution. The potential of using chemical methods for upcycling plastic waste offers a dual solution to ensure resource sustainability and environmental restoration. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the latest technologies driven by solar-driven, electro/photoelectrochemical-catalytic, and microwave-assisted methods for the conversion of plastics into various valuable chemicals. It emphasizes selective conversion during the plastic transformation process, elucidates reaction pathways, and optimizes product selectivity. Finally, the article offers insights into the future developments of chemical upcycling of polyesters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangxi Lou
- Key Laboratory of Superlight Materials and Surface Technology of Ministry of Education, College of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin 150001, China.
- Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials & Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Fangyue Liu
- Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials & Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Qingye Li
- Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials & Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Mingyu Chu
- Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials & Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Guiling Wang
- Key Laboratory of Superlight Materials and Surface Technology of Ministry of Education, College of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin 150001, China.
| | - Jinxing Chen
- Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials & Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Muhan Cao
- Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials & Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, Jiangsu, China.
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7
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Zhao B, Tan H, Yang J, Zhang X, Yu Z, Sun H, Wei J, Zhao X, Zhang Y, Chen L, Yang D, Deng J, Fu Y, Huang Z, Jiao N. Catalytic conversion of mixed polyolefins under mild atmospheric pressure. Innovation (N Y) 2024; 5:100586. [PMID: 38414518 PMCID: PMC10897897 DOI: 10.1016/j.xinn.2024.100586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
The chemical recycling of polyolefin presents a considerable challenge, especially as upcycling methods struggle with the reality that plastic wastes typically consist of mixtures of polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), and polypropylene (PP). We report a catalytic aerobic oxidative approach for polyolefins upcycling with the corresponding carboxylic acids as the product. This method encompasses three key innovations. First, it operates under atmospheric pressure and mild conditions, using O2 or air as the oxidant. Second, it is compatible with high-density polyethylene, low-density polyethylene, PS, PP, and their blends. Third, it uses an economical and recoverable metal catalyst. It has been demonstrated that this approach can efficiently degrade mixed wastes of plastic bags, bottles, masks, and foam boxes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binzhi Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Hui Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Jie Yang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Biomass Clean Energy, iChEM, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Xiaohui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Zidi Yu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Hanli Sun
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Jialiang Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Xinyi Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Yufeng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Lili Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Dali Yang
- The Institute for Advanced Studies, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Jin Deng
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Biomass Clean Energy, iChEM, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Yao Fu
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Biomass Clean Energy, iChEM, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Zheng Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Organometallic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Ning Jiao
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
- State Key Laboratory of Organometallic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
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8
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Wang K, Yuan F, Huang L. Recent Progresses and Challenges in Upcycling of Plastics through Selective Catalytic Oxidation. Chempluschem 2024:e202300701. [PMID: 38409525 DOI: 10.1002/cplu.202300701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Chemical upcycling of plastics provides an important direction for solving the challenging issues of plastic pollution and mitigating the wastage of carbon resources. Among them, catalytic oxidative cracking of plastics to produce high-value chemicals, such as catalytic oxidation of polyethylene (PE) to produce fatty dicarboxylic acids, catalytic oxidation of polystyrene (PS) to produce benzoic acid, and catalytic oxidation of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) to produce terephthalic acid under mild conditions has attracted increasing attention, and some exciting progress has been made recently. In this article, we will review recent progresses on the catalytic oxidation upcycling of plastics and provide our understanding on the current challenges in catalytic oxidation upcycling of plastics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaili Wang
- Research Center of Nano Science and Technology, College of Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200444, P. R. China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200444, China
| | - Fan Yuan
- Research Center of Nano Science and Technology, College of Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200444, P. R. China
| | - Lei Huang
- Research Center of Nano Science and Technology, College of Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200444, P. R. China
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9
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Su H, Xu D, Li T, Zhu L, Wang S. Low-Temperature Upcycling of Polypropylene Waste into H 2 Fuel via a Novel Tandem Hydrothermal Process. CHEMSUSCHEM 2024; 17:e202301299. [PMID: 37806957 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202301299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 10/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Plastic waste is a promising and abundant resource for H2 production. However, upcycling plastic waste into H2 fuel via conventional thermochemical routes requires relatively considerable energy input and severe reaction conditions, particularly for polyolefin waste. Here, we report a tandem strategy for the selective upcycling of polypropylene (PP) waste into H2 fuel in a mild and clean manner. PP waste was first oxidized into small-molecule organic acids using pure O2 as oxidant at 190 °C, followed by the catalytic reforming of oxidation aqueous products over ZnO-modified Ru/NiAl2 O4 catalysts to produce H2 at 300 °C. A high H2 yield of 44.5 mol/kgPP and a H2 mole fraction of 60.5 % were obtained from this tandem process. The entire process operated with almost no solid residue remaining and equipment contamination, ensuring relative stability and cleanliness of the reaction system. This strategy provides a new route for low-temperature transforming PP and improving the sustainability of plastic waste disposal processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongcai Su
- State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization, Zhejiang University, Zheda Road 38, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Dan Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization, Zhejiang University, Zheda Road 38, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Tian Li
- State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization, Zhejiang University, Zheda Road 38, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Lingjun Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization, Zhejiang University, Zheda Road 38, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Shurong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization, Zhejiang University, Zheda Road 38, Hangzhou, 310027, China
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10
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Guo S, Feng D, Li Y, Liu L, Tang J. Innovations in chemical degradation technologies for the removal of micro/nano-plastics in water: A comprehensive review. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2024; 271:115979. [PMID: 38244511 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.115979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2023] [Revised: 01/06/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Abstract
Micro/nanoplastics (M/NPs) in water have raised global concern due to their potential environmental risks. To reestablish a M/NPs free world, enormous attempts have been made toward employing chemical technologies for their removal in water. This review comprehensively summarizes the advances in chemical degradation approaches for M/NPs elimination. It details and discusses promising techniques, including photo-based technologies, Fenton-based reaction, electrochemical oxidation, and novel micro/nanomotors approaches. Subsequently, critical influence factors, such as properties of M/NPs and operating factors, are analyzed in this review specifically. Finally, it concludes by addressing the current challenges and future perspectives in chemical degradation. This review will provide guidance for scientists to further explore novel strategies and develop feasible chemical methods for the improved control and remediation of M/NPs in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saisai Guo
- MOE Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria/Tianjin Engineering Center of Environmental Diagnosis and Contamination Remediation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Di Feng
- Shandong Facility Horticulture Bioengineering Research Center/Weifang University of Science and Technology, Weifang 262700, Shandong, China
| | - Yu Li
- MOE Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria/Tianjin Engineering Center of Environmental Diagnosis and Contamination Remediation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Linan Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria/Tianjin Engineering Center of Environmental Diagnosis and Contamination Remediation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Jingchun Tang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria/Tianjin Engineering Center of Environmental Diagnosis and Contamination Remediation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China.
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11
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Mohd Abdah MAA, Mohammad Azlan FN, Wong WP, Mustafa MN, Walvekar R, Khalid M. Microwave-assisted upcycling of plastic waste to high-performance carbon anode for lithium-ion batteries. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 349:140973. [PMID: 38122940 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
The increasing demand for high-performance lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has emphasized the need for affordable and sustainable materials, prompting the exploration of waste upcycling to address global sustainability challenges. In this study, we efficiently converted polypropylene (PP) plastic waste from used centrifuge tubes into activated polypropylene carbon (APC) using microwave-assisted pyrolysis. The synthesis of APC was optimized using response surface methodology/central composite design (RSM/CCD). Based on the RSM results, the optimal conditions for PP plastic conversion into carbon were determined as follows: HNO3 concentration of 3.5 M, microwave temperature of 230 °C, and holding time of 25 min. Under these conditions, the obtained intensity ratio of Id/Ig in PP carbon was 0.681 ± 0.013, with an error of 6.81 ± 0.013 % between predicted and actual values. The physicochemical studies, including FESEM-EDX, XRD, and Raman spectroscopy, confirmed the successful synthesis of APC samples. The APC 800 material exhibited a well-organized three-dimensional structure characterized by large pores and mesopores, enabling fast ion transport in the electrode. As a result, the APC 800 electrode demonstrated an initial discharge capacity of 381.0 mAh/g, an improved initial coulombic efficiency of 85.1%, and excellent cycling stability after 100 cycles. Notably, the APC 800 electrode displayed remarkable rate performance, showing a reversible capacity of 355.1 mAh/g when the current density was reset to 0.2 A/g, highlighting its high electrochemical reversibility. The outstanding characteristics of APC 800 as an anode electrode material for high-performance lithium-ion batteries suggest a promising future for its application in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Amirul Aizat Mohd Abdah
- Sunway Centre for Electrochemical Energy and Sustainable Technology (SCEEST), School of Engineering and Technology, Sunway University, No. 5 Jalan Universiti, Bandar Sunway, 47500, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Fathihah Nabila Mohammad Azlan
- Sunway Centre for Electrochemical Energy and Sustainable Technology (SCEEST), School of Engineering and Technology, Sunway University, No. 5 Jalan Universiti, Bandar Sunway, 47500, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Weng Pin Wong
- Sunway Centre for Electrochemical Energy and Sustainable Technology (SCEEST), School of Engineering and Technology, Sunway University, No. 5 Jalan Universiti, Bandar Sunway, 47500, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Muhammad Norhaffis Mustafa
- Sunway Centre for Electrochemical Energy and Sustainable Technology (SCEEST), School of Engineering and Technology, Sunway University, No. 5 Jalan Universiti, Bandar Sunway, 47500, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Rashmi Walvekar
- Faculty of Innovation and Technology, School of Engineering, Chemical Engineering Programme, No.1 Jalan Taylor's, Taylor's University Malaysia, 47500, Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia; Liveable Urban Communities Impact Lab, No.1 Jalan Taylor's, Taylor's University Malaysia, 47500, Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Mohammad Khalid
- Sunway Centre for Electrochemical Energy and Sustainable Technology (SCEEST), School of Engineering and Technology, Sunway University, No. 5 Jalan Universiti, Bandar Sunway, 47500, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia; Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, 576104, Karnataka, India; Centre of Research Impact and Outcome, Chitkara University Institute of Engineering and Technology, Chitkara University, Punjab, 140401, India.
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12
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Bhattacharjee S, Linley S, Reisner E. Solar reforming as an emerging technology for circular chemical industries. Nat Rev Chem 2024:10.1038/s41570-023-00567-x. [PMID: 38291132 DOI: 10.1038/s41570-023-00567-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
The adverse environmental impacts of greenhouse gas emissions and persistent waste accumulation are driving the demand for sustainable approaches to clean-energy production and waste recycling. By coupling the thermodynamically favourable oxidation of waste-derived organic carbon streams with fuel-forming reduction reactions suitable for producing clean hydrogen or converting CO2 to fuels, solar reforming simultaneously valorizes waste and generates useful chemical products. With appropriate light harvesting, catalyst design, device configurations and waste pre-treatment strategies, a range of sustainable fuels and value-added chemicals can already be selectively produced from diverse waste feedstocks, including biomass and plastics, demonstrating the potential of solar-powered upcycling plants. This Review highlights solar reforming as an emerging technology that is currently transitioning from fundamental research towards practical application. We investigate the chemistry and compatibility of waste pre-treatment, introduce process classifications, explore the mechanisms of different solar reforming technologies, and suggest appropriate concepts, metrics and pathways for various deployment scenarios in a net-zero-carbon future.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stuart Linley
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Erwin Reisner
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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13
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Kang Q, Chu M, Xu P, Wang X, Wang S, Cao M, Ivasenko O, Sham TK, Zhang Q, Sun Q, Chen J. Entropy Confinement Promotes Hydrogenolysis Activity for Polyethylene Upcycling. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202313174. [PMID: 37799095 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202313174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
Chemical upcycling that catalyzes waste plastics back to high-purity chemicals holds great promise in end-of-life plastics valorization. One of the main challenges in this process is the thermodynamic limitations imposed by the high intrinsic entropy of polymer chains, which makes their adsorption on catalysts unfavorable and the transition state unstable. Here, we overcome this challenge by inducing the catalytic reaction inside mesoporous channels, which possess a strong confined ability to polymer chains, allowing for stabilization of the transition state. This approach involves the synthesis of p-Ru/SBA catalysts, in which Ru nanoparticles are uniformly distributed within the channels of an SBA-15 support, using a precise impregnation method. The unique design of the p-Ru/SBA catalyst has demonstrated significant improvements in catalytic performance for the conversion of polyethylene into high-value liquid fuels, particularly diesel. The catalyst achieved a high solid conversion rate of 1106 g ⋅ gRu -1 ⋅ h-1 at 230 °C. Comparatively, this catalytic activity is 4.9 times higher than that of a control catalyst, Ru/SiO2 , and 14.0 times higher than that of a commercial catalyst, Ru/C, at 240 °C. This remarkable catalytic activity opens up immense opportunities for the chemical upcycling of waste plastics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingyun Kang
- Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Joint International Research Laboratory of Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials & Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
| | - Mingyu Chu
- Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Joint International Research Laboratory of Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials & Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Negative Carbon Technologies, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
| | - Panpan Xu
- Key Laboratory of Multifunctional Nanomaterials and Smart Systems, Advanced Materials Division, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Xuchun Wang
- Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Joint International Research Laboratory of Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials & Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
- Department of Chemistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Shiqi Wang
- Innovation Center for Chemical Sciences, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, P. R. China
| | - Muhan Cao
- Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Joint International Research Laboratory of Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials & Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
| | - Oleksandr Ivasenko
- Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Joint International Research Laboratory of Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials & Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
| | - Tsun-Kong Sham
- Department of Chemistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Qiao Zhang
- Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Joint International Research Laboratory of Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials & Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
| | - Qiming Sun
- Innovation Center for Chemical Sciences, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, P. R. China
| | - Jinxing Chen
- Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Joint International Research Laboratory of Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials & Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
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14
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Wei X, Zhang Q, Shen C, Zhao X, Zhang F, Liu X, Wu G, Xu S, Wang YZ. Tandem oxidative and thermal cracking of polypropylene at low temperatures. MATERIALS HORIZONS 2023; 10:3694-3701. [PMID: 37401674 DOI: 10.1039/d3mh00737e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
Polypropylene waste was upcycled into terminal functionalized long-chain chemicals with the aid of anionic surfactants. The reaction only needs to be heated at 80 °C for 5 min by coupling exothermic oxidative cracking with endothermic thermal cracking. This work opens a new way to rapidly convert plastic waste into high-value-added chemicals under mild conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangyue Wei
- The Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Friendly and Fire-Safety Polymeric Materials (MoE), National Engineering Laboratory of Eco-Friendly Polymeric Materials (Sichuan), College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China.
| | - Qiang Zhang
- The Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Friendly and Fire-Safety Polymeric Materials (MoE), National Engineering Laboratory of Eco-Friendly Polymeric Materials (Sichuan), College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China.
| | - Chengfeng Shen
- The Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Friendly and Fire-Safety Polymeric Materials (MoE), National Engineering Laboratory of Eco-Friendly Polymeric Materials (Sichuan), College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China.
| | - Xu Zhao
- The Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Friendly and Fire-Safety Polymeric Materials (MoE), National Engineering Laboratory of Eco-Friendly Polymeric Materials (Sichuan), College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China.
| | - Fan Zhang
- The Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Friendly and Fire-Safety Polymeric Materials (MoE), National Engineering Laboratory of Eco-Friendly Polymeric Materials (Sichuan), College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China.
| | - Xuehui Liu
- The Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Friendly and Fire-Safety Polymeric Materials (MoE), National Engineering Laboratory of Eco-Friendly Polymeric Materials (Sichuan), College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China
| | - Gang Wu
- The Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Friendly and Fire-Safety Polymeric Materials (MoE), National Engineering Laboratory of Eco-Friendly Polymeric Materials (Sichuan), College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China.
| | - Shimei Xu
- The Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Friendly and Fire-Safety Polymeric Materials (MoE), National Engineering Laboratory of Eco-Friendly Polymeric Materials (Sichuan), College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China.
| | - Yu-Zhong Wang
- The Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Friendly and Fire-Safety Polymeric Materials (MoE), National Engineering Laboratory of Eco-Friendly Polymeric Materials (Sichuan), College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China.
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15
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Li A, Cui H, Sheng Y, Qiao J, Li X, Huang H. Global plastic upcycling during and after the COVID-19 pandemic: The status and perspective. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING 2023; 11:110092. [PMID: 37200549 PMCID: PMC10167783 DOI: 10.1016/j.jece.2023.110092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Plastic pollution has become one of the most pressing environmental issues worldwide since the vast majority of post-consumer plastics are hard to degrade in the environment. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic had disrupted the previous effort of plastic pollution mitigation to a great extent due to the overflow of plastic-based medical waste. In the post-pandemic era, the remaining challenge is how to motivate global action towards a plastic circular economy. The need for one package of sustainable and systematic plastic upcycling approaches has never been greater to address such a challenge. In this review, we summarized the threat of plastic pollution during COVID-19 to public health and ecosystem. In order to solve the aforementioned challenges, we present a shifting concept, regeneration value from plastic waste, that provides four promising pathways to achieve a sustainable circular economy: 1) Increasing reusability and biodegradability of plastics; 2) Transforming plastic waste into high-value products by chemical approaches; 3) The closed-loop recycling can be promoted by biodegradation; 4) Involving renewable energy into plastic upcycling. Additionally, the joint efforts from different social perspectives are also encouraged to create the necessary economic and environmental impetus for a circular economy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anni Li
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210009, People's Republic of China
| | - Haiyang Cui
- RWTH Aachen University, Templergraben 55, 52062 Aachen, Germany
| | - Yijie Sheng
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210009, People's Republic of China
| | - Jie Qiao
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210009, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiujuan Li
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210009, People's Republic of China
| | - He Huang
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210009, People's Republic of China
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nanjing Tech University, No. 30 South Puzhu Road, Nanjing 211816, People's Republic of China
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16
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The Key to Solving Plastic Packaging Wastes: Design for Recycling and Recycling Technology. Polymers (Basel) 2023; 15:polym15061485. [PMID: 36987265 PMCID: PMC10053126 DOI: 10.3390/polym15061485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Confronted with serious environmental problems caused by the growing mountains of plastic packaging waste, the prevention and control of plastic waste has become a major concern for most countries. In addition to the recycling of plastic wastes, design for recycling can effectively prevent plastic packaging from turning into solid waste at the source. The reasons are that the design for recycling can extend the life cycle of plastic packaging and increase the recycling values of plastic waste; moreover, recycling technologies are helpful for improving the properties of recycled plastics and expanding the application market for recycled materials. This review systematically discussed the present theory, practice, strategies, and methods of design for recycling plastic packaging and extracted valuable advanced design ideas and successful cases. Furthermore, the development status of automatic sorting methods, mechanical recycling of individual and mixed plastic waste, as well as chemical recycling of thermoplastic and thermosetting plastic waste, were comprehensively summarized. The combination of the front-end design for recycling and the back-end recycling technologies can accelerate the transformation of the plastic packaging industry from an unsustainable model to an economic cycle model and then achieve the unity of economic, ecological, and social benefits.
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17
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Pinsuwan K, Opaprakasit P, Petchsuk A, Dubas L, Opaprakasit M. Chemical recycling of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) wastes by oxidative degradation to dicarboxylic acids and their use as value-added curing agents for acrylate-based materials. Polym Degrad Stab 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2023.110306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
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18
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Rabot C, Chen Y, Bijlani S, Chiang Y, Oakley CE, Oakley BR, Williams TJ, Wang CCC. Conversion of Polyethylenes into Fungal Secondary Metabolites. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202214609. [PMID: 36417558 PMCID: PMC10100090 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202214609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Waste plastics represent major environmental and economic burdens due to their ubiquity, slow breakdown rates, and inadequacy of current recycling routes. Polyethylenes are particularly problematic, because they lack robust recycling approaches despite being the most abundant plastics in use today. We report a novel chemical and biological approach for the rapid conversion of polyethylenes into structurally complex and pharmacologically active compounds. We present conditions for aerobic, catalytic digestion of polyethylenes collected from post-consumer and oceanic waste streams, creating carboxylic diacids that can then be used as a carbon source by the fungus Aspergillus nidulans. As a proof of principle, we have engineered strains of A. nidulans to synthesize the fungal secondary metabolites asperbenzaldehyde, citreoviridin, and mutilin when grown on these digestion products. This hybrid approach considerably expands the range of products to which polyethylenes can be upcycled.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Rabot
- Department of Pharmacology & Pharmaceutical SciencesUniversity of Southern California1985 Zonal AveLos AngelesCA 90033USA
| | - Yuhao Chen
- Donald P. and Katherine B. Loker Hydrocarbon Institute and Department of ChemistryUniversity of Southern California837 Bloom WalkLos AngelesCA 90089USA
- Wrigley Institute for Environmental StudiesUniversity of Southern California3454 Trousdale ParkwayLos AngelesCA 90089USA
| | - Swati Bijlani
- Department of Pharmacology & Pharmaceutical SciencesUniversity of Southern California1985 Zonal AveLos AngelesCA 90033USA
| | - Yi‐Ming Chiang
- Department of Pharmacology & Pharmaceutical SciencesUniversity of Southern California1985 Zonal AveLos AngelesCA 90033USA
| | - C. Elizabeth Oakley
- Department of Molecular BiosciencesUniversity of Kansas1200 Sunnyside AvenueLawrenceKS 66045USA
| | - Berl R. Oakley
- Department of Molecular BiosciencesUniversity of Kansas1200 Sunnyside AvenueLawrenceKS 66045USA
| | - Travis J. Williams
- Donald P. and Katherine B. Loker Hydrocarbon Institute and Department of ChemistryUniversity of Southern California837 Bloom WalkLos AngelesCA 90089USA
- Wrigley Institute for Environmental StudiesUniversity of Southern California3454 Trousdale ParkwayLos AngelesCA 90089USA
| | - Clay C. C. Wang
- Department of Pharmacology & Pharmaceutical SciencesUniversity of Southern California1985 Zonal AveLos AngelesCA 90033USA
- Donald P. and Katherine B. Loker Hydrocarbon Institute and Department of ChemistryUniversity of Southern California837 Bloom WalkLos AngelesCA 90089USA
- Wrigley Institute for Environmental StudiesUniversity of Southern California3454 Trousdale ParkwayLos AngelesCA 90089USA
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19
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Zheng K, Wu Y, Hu Z, Wang S, Jiao X, Zhu J, Sun Y, Xie Y. Progress and perspective for conversion of plastic wastes into valuable chemicals. Chem Soc Rev 2023; 52:8-29. [PMID: 36468343 DOI: 10.1039/d2cs00688j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
Abstract
Today, discarded plastics in nature have caused serious "white pollution", however these plastic wastes contain abundant carbon resources that could serve as the feedstock to produce commodities. Because of this, it is requisite to convert these plastic wastes into valuable chemicals. Herein, the state-of-the-art techniques for plastic conversion are divided into two categories, those performed under violent conditions and mild conditions, in which the conversion mechanisms are discussed. The strategies under violent conditions are closer to practical application thanks to their excellent conversion efficiencies, while the strategies under mild conditions are more environmentally friendly, showing enormous development potential in the future. We summarize in detail the pyrolysis, hydropyrolysis, solvolysis and microwave-initiated catalysis for bond cleavage in plastic wastes at temperatures ranging from 448 to 973 K. Also, we overview the photocatalysis, electrocatalysis and biocatalysis for bond cleavage in plastic wastes at near and even normal temperature and pressure. Finally, we present some suggestions and outlooks concerning the improvement of current techniques and in-depth mechanisms of investigation for conversion of plastics into valuable chemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Zheng
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, P. R. China.
| | - Yang Wu
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, P. R. China.
| | - Zexun Hu
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, P. R. China.
| | - Shumin Wang
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, P. R. China.
| | - Xingchen Jiao
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, P. R. China. .,Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education, School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Juncheng Zhu
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, P. R. China.
| | - Yongfu Sun
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, P. R. China.
| | - Yi Xie
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, P. R. China.
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20
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Isolation of Thermophilic Bacteria and Investigation of Their Microplastic Degradation Ability Using Polyethylene Polymers. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10122441. [PMID: 36557694 PMCID: PMC9787896 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10122441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) pose potential public health challenges because of their widespread occurrences in all environmental compartments. While most studies have focused on the occurrence fate of microplastics in wastewater treatment systems, the biodegradation of microplastics in wastewater is generally little understood. Therefore, we used two Gram-positive and thermophilic bacteria, called strain ST3 and ST6, which were identified by morphological, biochemical, physiological, and molecular analyses, to assess the growth and biodegradation potential of two different sized (50 and 150 m) polyethylene particles. The degradation was monitored based on structural and surface morphological changes. According to 16S rRNA analyses, ST3 and ST6 were identified as Anoxybacillus flavithermus ST3 and Anoxybacillus sp. ST6, respectively. The occurrence of cracks, holes, and dimensional changes was detected by scanning electron microscopy. Moreover, critical characteristic absorption band formation and modifications were determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. In addition to these, it was found that Anoxybacillus flavithermus ST3 and Anoxybacillus sp. ST6 produced high level of alpha-Amylase. These results showed that thermophilic bacteria are capable of the biodegradation of microplastics and production of alpha-Amylase.
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21
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Sullivan KP, Werner AZ, Ramirez KJ, Ellis LD, Bussard JR, Black BA, Brandner DG, Bratti F, Buss BL, Dong X, Haugen SJ, Ingraham MA, Konev MO, Michener WE, Miscall J, Pardo I, Woodworth SP, Guss AM, Román-Leshkov Y, Stahl SS, Beckham GT. Mixed plastics waste valorization through tandem chemical oxidation and biological funneling. Science 2022; 378:207-211. [PMID: 36227984 DOI: 10.1126/science.abo4626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Mixed plastics waste represents an abundant and largely untapped feedstock for the production of valuable products. The chemical diversity and complexity of these materials, however, present major barriers to realizing this opportunity. In this work, we show that metal-catalyzed autoxidation depolymerizes comingled polymers into a mixture of oxygenated small molecules that are advantaged substrates for biological conversion. We engineer a robust soil bacterium, Pseudomonas putida, to funnel these oxygenated compounds into a single exemplary chemical product, either β-ketoadipate or polyhydroxyalkanoates. This hybrid process establishes a strategy for the selective conversion of mixed plastics waste into useful chemical products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin P Sullivan
- Renewable Resources and Enabling Sciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, USA.,BOTTLE Consortium, Golden, CO, USA
| | - Allison Z Werner
- Renewable Resources and Enabling Sciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, USA.,BOTTLE Consortium, Golden, CO, USA
| | - Kelsey J Ramirez
- Renewable Resources and Enabling Sciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, USA.,BOTTLE Consortium, Golden, CO, USA
| | - Lucas D Ellis
- Renewable Resources and Enabling Sciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, USA.,BOTTLE Consortium, Golden, CO, USA
| | - Jeremy R Bussard
- Renewable Resources and Enabling Sciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, USA.,BOTTLE Consortium, Golden, CO, USA
| | - Brenna A Black
- Renewable Resources and Enabling Sciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, USA.,BOTTLE Consortium, Golden, CO, USA
| | - David G Brandner
- Renewable Resources and Enabling Sciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, USA.,BOTTLE Consortium, Golden, CO, USA
| | - Felicia Bratti
- Renewable Resources and Enabling Sciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, USA.,BOTTLE Consortium, Golden, CO, USA
| | - Bonnie L Buss
- Renewable Resources and Enabling Sciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, USA.,BOTTLE Consortium, Golden, CO, USA
| | - Xueming Dong
- Renewable Resources and Enabling Sciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, USA.,BOTTLE Consortium, Golden, CO, USA
| | - Stefan J Haugen
- Renewable Resources and Enabling Sciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, USA.,BOTTLE Consortium, Golden, CO, USA
| | - Morgan A Ingraham
- Renewable Resources and Enabling Sciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, USA.,BOTTLE Consortium, Golden, CO, USA
| | - Mikhail O Konev
- Renewable Resources and Enabling Sciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, USA.,BOTTLE Consortium, Golden, CO, USA
| | - William E Michener
- Renewable Resources and Enabling Sciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, USA.,BOTTLE Consortium, Golden, CO, USA
| | - Joel Miscall
- Renewable Resources and Enabling Sciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, USA.,BOTTLE Consortium, Golden, CO, USA
| | - Isabel Pardo
- Renewable Resources and Enabling Sciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, USA.,BOTTLE Consortium, Golden, CO, USA
| | - Sean P Woodworth
- Renewable Resources and Enabling Sciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, USA.,BOTTLE Consortium, Golden, CO, USA
| | - Adam M Guss
- BOTTLE Consortium, Golden, CO, USA.,Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Yuriy Román-Leshkov
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Shannon S Stahl
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Gregg T Beckham
- Renewable Resources and Enabling Sciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, USA.,BOTTLE Consortium, Golden, CO, USA
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22
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Lievens S, Slegers T, Mees MA, Thielemans W, Poma G, Covaci A, Van Der Borght M. A simple, rapid and accurate method for the sample preparation and quantification of meso- and microplastics in food and food waste streams. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 307:119511. [PMID: 35613682 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Plastics are produced and used in large quantities worldwide (e.g. as food packaging). In line with this, plastic particles are found throughout the ecosphere and in various foods. As a result, plastics are also present in energy-rich waste biomass derived from the food industry, supermarkets, restaurants, etc. These waste streams are a valuable source for biogas production but can also be used to feed insects that in turn upcycle it into new high-value biomass. In both applications, the remaining residue can be used as fertilizer. Due to the present plastic particles, these applications could pose a continued threat to the environment, and both human and animal health. Therefore, the need of determining the (micro)plastic content to assess the potential danger is rising. In this research, a closed-vessel microwave-assisted acid digestion method was developed to accurately determine meso- and microplastic contents in food (waste) matrices by solubilising this food matrix. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) food packaging foil was used to develop the method, using a full factorial design with three parameters (nitric acid concentration (c(HNO3)), temperature (T), and time (t)). According to this model, the best practical conditions were c(HNO3) = 0.50 mol/L, T = 170 °C, and t = 5.00 min. Subsequently, the method was tested on five other plastics, namely high- and low-density polyethylene (HDPE and LDPE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), mixed with a food matrix, resulting in a mean plastic recovery of 102.2 ± 4.1%. Additionally, the polymers were not oxidised during the microwave digestion. For PVC and PS hardly any degradation was found, while HDPE, LDPE, and PP showed slight chain degradation, although without recovery loss. In conclusion, the method is an accurate approach to quantify the total meso- and microplastic content in food (waste) matrices with minimal change in their intrinsic characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siebe Lievens
- KU Leuven - Campus Geel, Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, Faculty of Engineering Technology, Research Group for Insect Production and Processing, Kleinhoefstraaat 4, 2440, Geel, Belgium; University of Antwerp - Campus Drie Eiken, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, Toxicological Centre, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Thomas Slegers
- KU Leuven - Campus Geel, Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, Faculty of Engineering Technology, Research Group for Insect Production and Processing, Kleinhoefstraaat 4, 2440, Geel, Belgium
| | - Maarten A Mees
- KU Leuven - Campus Kulak Kortrijk, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Science, Sustainable Materials Lab, Etienne Sabbelaan 53, 8500, Kortrijk, Belgium
| | - Wim Thielemans
- KU Leuven - Campus Kulak Kortrijk, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Science, Sustainable Materials Lab, Etienne Sabbelaan 53, 8500, Kortrijk, Belgium
| | - Giulia Poma
- University of Antwerp - Campus Drie Eiken, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, Toxicological Centre, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Adrian Covaci
- University of Antwerp - Campus Drie Eiken, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, Toxicological Centre, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Mik Van Der Borght
- KU Leuven - Campus Geel, Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, Faculty of Engineering Technology, Research Group for Insect Production and Processing, Kleinhoefstraaat 4, 2440, Geel, Belgium.
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23
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Schrank I, Möller JN, Imhof HK, Hauenstein O, Zielke F, Agarwal S, Löder MGJ, Greiner A, Laforsch C. Microplastic sample purification methods - Assessing detrimental effects of purification procedures on specific plastic types. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 833:154824. [PMID: 35351498 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In search of effective, fast, and cheap methods to purify environmental samples for microplastic analysis, scientific literature provides various purification protocols. However, while most of these protocols effectively purify the samples, some may also degrade the targeted polymers. This study was conducted to systematically compare the effects of purification protocols based on acidic, alkaline, oxidative, and enzymatic digestion and extraction via density separation on eight of the most relevant plastic types. It offers insights into how specific purification protocols may compromise microplastic detection by documenting visible and gravimetric effects, analyzing potential surface degradation using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and bulk erosion on a molecular level using gel permeation chromatography (GPC). For example, protocols using strong acids and high temperatures are likely to completely dissolve or cause strong degradation to a wide range of polymers (PA, PC, PET, PS, PUR & PVC), while strong alkaline solutions may damage PC and PET. Contrarily, Fenton's reagent, multiple enzymatic digestion steps, as well as treatment with a zinc chloride solution frequently used for density-separation, do not degrade the eight polymers tested here. Therefore, their implementation in microplastic sample processing may be considered an essential stepping-stone towards a standardized protocol for future microplastics analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella Schrank
- Department of Animal Ecology I and BayCEER, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Julia N Möller
- Department of Animal Ecology I and BayCEER, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Hannes K Imhof
- Department of Animal Ecology I and BayCEER, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Oliver Hauenstein
- Macromolecular Chemistry II, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Franziska Zielke
- Department of Animal Ecology I and BayCEER, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Seema Agarwal
- Macromolecular Chemistry II, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Martin G J Löder
- Department of Animal Ecology I and BayCEER, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Andreas Greiner
- Macromolecular Chemistry II, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Christian Laforsch
- Department of Animal Ecology I and BayCEER, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany.
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24
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Westlie AH, Chen EYX, Holland CM, Stahl SS, Doyle M, Trenor SR, Knauer KM. Polyolefin Innovations toward Circularity and Sustainable Alternatives. Macromol Rapid Commun 2022; 43:e2200492. [PMID: 35908163 DOI: 10.1002/marc.202200492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 07/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The unprecedented growth and socioeconomic impacts of polyolefins clearly outline a major success story in the world of polymer science. Polyolefins revolutionizes industries such as health care, construction, and food packaging. Despite the benefits of polyolefins, there is a rising concern for the environment due to high production volume (i.e., fossil fuel consumption), often short usage time, and problems related to waste management and accumulation in the natural environment. Creating a circular economy for polyolefins through effective recycling technologies has the potential to decrease the environmental impact of these materials. This perspective discusses polyolefins and their impact, existing and emerging recycling/upcycling solutions, and recycle-by-design alternatives that are challenging the status quo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea H Westlie
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Eugene Y-X Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Chris M Holland
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.,Wisconsin Energy Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
| | - Shannon S Stahl
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.,Wisconsin Energy Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
| | - Meredith Doyle
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 15013 Denver W Pkwy, Golden, CO, 80401, USA
| | - Scott R Trenor
- Plastics Additives, Milliken Chemical, Milliken and Company, Spartanburg, SC, 29303, USA
| | - Katrina M Knauer
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 15013 Denver W Pkwy, Golden, CO, 80401, USA
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25
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Tan T, Wang W, Zhang K, Zhan Z, Deng W, Zhang Q, Wang Y. Upcycling Plastic Wastes into Value-Added Products by Heterogeneous Catalysis. CHEMSUSCHEM 2022; 15:e202200522. [PMID: 35438240 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202200522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Plastics are playing essential roles in the modern society. The majority of them enter environment through landfilling or discarding after turning into wastes, causing severe carbon loss and imposing high risk to ecosystem and human health. Currently, physical recycling serves as the primary method to reuse plastic waste, but this method is limited to thermoplastic recycling. The quality of recycled plastics gradually deteriorates because of the undesirable degradation in the recycling process. Under such background, catalytic upcycling, which can upgrade various plastic wastes into value-added products under mild conditions, has attracted recent attention as a promising strategy to treat plastic wastes. This Review highlights recent advances in the development of efficient heterogeneous catalysts and useful strategies for upcycling plastics into liquid hydrocarbons, arene compounds, carbon materials, hydrogen, and other value-added chemicals. The functions of catalysts and the reaction mechanisms are discussed. The key factors that influence the catalytic performance are also analyzed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, National Engineering Laboratory for Green Chemical Productions of Alcohols, Ethers and Esters, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P. R. China
| | - Wei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, National Engineering Laboratory for Green Chemical Productions of Alcohols, Ethers and Esters, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P. R. China
| | - Kai Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, National Engineering Laboratory for Green Chemical Productions of Alcohols, Ethers and Esters, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P. R. China
| | - Zixiang Zhan
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, National Engineering Laboratory for Green Chemical Productions of Alcohols, Ethers and Esters, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P. R. China
| | - Weiping Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, National Engineering Laboratory for Green Chemical Productions of Alcohols, Ethers and Esters, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P. R. China
| | - Qinghong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, National Engineering Laboratory for Green Chemical Productions of Alcohols, Ethers and Esters, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P. R. China
| | - Ye Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, National Engineering Laboratory for Green Chemical Productions of Alcohols, Ethers and Esters, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P. R. China
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26
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Zhou H, Wang Y, Ren Y, Li Z, Kong X, Shao M, Duan H. Plastic Waste Valorization by Leveraging Multidisciplinary Catalytic Technologies. ACS Catal 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.2c02775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hua Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Chemistry, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
- Haihe Laboratory of Sustainable Chemical Transformations, Tianjin 300192, China
| | - Ye Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yue Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Chemistry, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Zhenhua Li
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Chemistry, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Xianggui Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Chemistry, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Mingfei Shao
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Chemistry, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Haohong Duan
- Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Haihe Laboratory of Sustainable Chemical Transformations, Tianjin 300192, China
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27
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Jehanno C, Alty JW, Roosen M, De Meester S, Dove AP, Chen EYX, Leibfarth FA, Sardon H. Critical advances and future opportunities in upcycling commodity polymers. Nature 2022; 603:803-814. [PMID: 35354997 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-04350-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 187] [Impact Index Per Article: 93.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The vast majority of commodity plastics do not degrade and therefore they permanently pollute the environment. At present, less than 20% of post-consumer plastic waste in developed countries is recycled, predominately for energy recovery or repurposing as lower-value materials by mechanical recycling. Chemical recycling offers an opportunity to revert plastics back to monomers for repolymerization to virgin materials without altering the properties of the material or the economic value of the polymer. For plastic waste that is either cost prohibitive or infeasible to mechanically or chemically recycle, the nascent field of chemical upcycling promises to use chemical or engineering approaches to place plastic waste at the beginning of a new value chain. Here state-of-the-art methods are highlighted for upcycling plastic waste into value-added performance materials, fine chemicals and specialty polymers. By identifying common conceptual approaches, we critically discuss how the advantages and challenges of each approach contribute to the goal of realizing a sustainable plastics economy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Coralie Jehanno
- POLYMAT, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain.,POLYKEY, Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Jill W Alty
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Martijn Roosen
- Laboratory for Circular Process Engineering, Ghent University, Kortrijk, Belgium
| | - Steven De Meester
- Laboratory for Circular Process Engineering, Ghent University, Kortrijk, Belgium.
| | - Andrew P Dove
- School of Chemistry, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Eugene Y-X Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Frank A Leibfarth
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | - Haritz Sardon
- POLYMAT, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain.
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28
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Nicholson SR, Rorrer JE, Singh A, Konev MO, Rorrer NA, Carpenter AC, Jacobsen AJ, Román-Leshkov Y, Beckham GT. The Critical Role of Process Analysis in Chemical Recycling and Upcycling of Waste Plastics. Annu Rev Chem Biomol Eng 2022; 13:301-324. [PMID: 35320697 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-chembioeng-100521-085846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
There is an urgent need for new technologies to enable circularity for synthetic polymers, spurred by the accumulation of waste plastics in landfills and the environment and the contributions of plastics manufacturing to climate change. Chemical recycling is a promising means to convert waste plastics into molecular intermediates that can be remanufactured into new products. Given the growing interest in the development of new chemical recycling approaches, it is critical to evaluate the economics, energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, and other life cycle inventory metrics for emerging processes, relative to the incumbent, linear manufacturing practices employed today. Here we offer specific definitions for classes of chemical recycling and upcycling and describe general process concepts for the chemical recycling of mixed plastics waste. We present a framework for techno-economic analysis and life cycle assessment for both closed- and open-loop chemical recycling. Rigorous application of these process analysis tools will be required to enable impactful solutions for the plastics waste problem. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Volume 13 is October 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott R Nicholson
- Grid Planning and Analysis Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado, USA.,BOTTLE Consortium, Golden, Colorado, USA;
| | - Julie E Rorrer
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Avantika Singh
- BOTTLE Consortium, Golden, Colorado, USA; .,Carbon Catalytic Transformation and Scale-Up Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado, USA
| | - Mikhail O Konev
- BOTTLE Consortium, Golden, Colorado, USA; .,Renewable Resources and Enabling Sciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado, USA
| | - Nicholas A Rorrer
- BOTTLE Consortium, Golden, Colorado, USA; .,Renewable Resources and Enabling Sciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado, USA
| | - Alberta C Carpenter
- BOTTLE Consortium, Golden, Colorado, USA; .,Strategic Energy Analysis Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado, USA
| | | | - Yuriy Román-Leshkov
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Gregg T Beckham
- BOTTLE Consortium, Golden, Colorado, USA; .,Renewable Resources and Enabling Sciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado, USA
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29
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Chen H, Wan K, Zhang Y, Wang Y. Waste to Wealth: Chemical Recycling and Chemical Upcycling of Waste Plastics for a Great Future. CHEMSUSCHEM 2021; 14:4123-4136. [PMID: 33998153 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202100652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The linear approach to resource utilization has led to the accumulation of waste plastic in the environment for decades. Unfortunately, both traditional mechanical recycling and incineration have faced their bottlenecks that have always resulted in quality deterioration and value recovery failures. Recently, chemical recycling and upcycling processes, including the conversion of plastics into their virgin monomers, liquid fuels, or chemical feedstocks to produce value-added products, have been identified as the most promising strategy for recovering value from waste plastics. However, these methods are often cost prohibitive and relying on stringent conditions compared to current recycling methods. Accordingly, this Minireview summarizes recent trends and achievements in the chemical recycling and upcycling of waste plastics. We highlight three research topics: depolymerization of plastics into monomers; degradation of plastics into liquid fuels and waxes; and conversion of plastics into hydrogen, fine chemical feedstocks, and value-added functional materials. Indeed, chemical recycling and upcycling is a bright path to a circular and environmentally friendly plastic economy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, No. 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, P.R. China
| | - Kun Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, No. 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, P.R. China
| | - Yayun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, No. 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, P.R. China
| | - Yanqin Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Functional Materials Chemistry and Research, Research Institute of Industrial Catalysis, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, No. 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, P.R. China
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30
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Cucina M, de Nisi P, Tambone F, Adani F. The role of waste management in reducing bioplastics' leakage into the environment: A review. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2021; 337:125459. [PMID: 34320741 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.125459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Bioplastics are becoming more and more widespread as substitutes for petroleum-derived plastics due to their biodegradability. Bioplastics degradation under different environments has been described and reported to depend mainly on bioplastics' compositions and the environmental conditions. Incomplete degradation during waste management processes and leakage of bioplastics into the environment are becoming major concerns that need to be further investigated. In this context, the present paper aimed to review recent literature dealing with biodegradation of bioplastics under industrial (e.g. anaerobic digestion and composting) and natural (e.g. soil and water) environments, and to link it to the potential bioplastics' leakage into the environment. Reviewed data were used to estimate the potential role of waste management processes in decreasing the potential leakage of bioplastics. Depending on bioplastics' type and processing conditions, waste management can effectively reduce bioplastics' potential leakage, decreasing the concentration of these materials that can reach the natural environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirko Cucina
- Gruppo Ricicla Lab. - DiSAA - Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milano, Italy.
| | - Patrizia de Nisi
- Gruppo Ricicla Lab. - DiSAA - Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Fulvia Tambone
- Gruppo Ricicla Lab. - DiSAA - Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Adani
- Gruppo Ricicla Lab. - DiSAA - Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milano, Italy
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31
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Wang C, Xie T, Kots PA, Vance BC, Yu K, Kumar P, Fu J, Liu S, Tsilomelekis G, Stach EA, Zheng W, Vlachos DG. Polyethylene Hydrogenolysis at Mild Conditions over Ruthenium on Tungstated Zirconia. JACS AU 2021; 1:1422-1434. [PMID: 34604852 PMCID: PMC8479762 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.1c00200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2021] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Plastics waste has become a major environmental threat, with polyethylene being one of the most produced and hardest to recycle plastics. Hydrogenolysis is potentially the most viable catalytic technology for recycling. Ruthenium (Ru) is one of the most active hydrogenolysis catalysts but yields too much methane. Here we introduce ruthenium supported on tungstated zirconia (Ru-WZr) for hydrogenolysis of low-density polyethylene (LDPE). We show that the Ru-WZr catalysts suppress methane formation and produce a product distribution in the diesel and wax/lubricant base-oil range unattainable by Ru-Zr and other Ru-supported catalysts. Importantly, the enhanced performance is showcased for real-world, single-use LDPE consumables. Reactivity studies combined with characterization and density functional theory calculations reveal that highly dispersed (WO x )n clusters store H as surface hydroxyls by spillover. We correlate this hydrogen storage mechanism with hydrogenation and desorption of long alkyl intermediates that would otherwise undergo further C-C scission to produce methane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cong Wang
- Center
for Plastics Innovation, University of Delaware, 221 Academy Street, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Tianjun Xie
- Center
for Plastics Innovation, University of Delaware, 221 Academy Street, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Pavel A. Kots
- Center
for Plastics Innovation, University of Delaware, 221 Academy Street, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Brandon C. Vance
- Center
for Plastics Innovation, University of Delaware, 221 Academy Street, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, Delaware 19716, United
States
| | - Kewei Yu
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, Delaware 19716, United
States
| | - Pawan Kumar
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, University
of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Jiayi Fu
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, Delaware 19716, United
States
| | - Sibao Liu
- Key
Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education,
School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - George Tsilomelekis
- Department
of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, School of Engineering, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Eric A. Stach
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, University
of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Weiqing Zheng
- Center
for Plastics Innovation, University of Delaware, 221 Academy Street, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Dionisios G. Vlachos
- Center
for Plastics Innovation, University of Delaware, 221 Academy Street, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, Delaware 19716, United
States
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32
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Nguyen ST, McLoughlin EA, Cox JH, Fors BP, Knowles RR. Depolymerization of Hydroxylated Polymers via Light-Driven C-C Bond Cleavage. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:12268-12277. [PMID: 34333967 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c05330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
The accumulation of persistent plastic waste in the environment is widely recognized as an ecological crisis. New chemical technologies are necessary both to recycle existing plastic waste streams into high-value chemical feedstocks and to develop next-generation materials that are degradable by design. Here, we report a catalytic methodology for the depolymerization of a commercial phenoxy resin and high molecular weight hydroxylated polyolefin derivatives upon visible light irradiation near ambient temperature. Proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) activation of hydroxyl groups periodically spaced along the polymer backbone furnishes reactive alkoxy radicals that promote chain fragmentation through C-C bond β-scission. The depolymerization produces well-defined and isolable product mixtures that are readily diversified to polycondensation monomers. In addition to controlling depolymerization, the hydroxyl group modulates the thermomechanical properties of these polyolefin derivatives, yielding materials with diverse properties. These results demonstrate a new approach to polymer recycling based on light-driven C-C bond cleavage that has the potential to establish new links within a circular polymer economy and influence the development of new degradable-by-design polyolefin materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suong T Nguyen
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Elizabeth A McLoughlin
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - James H Cox
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Brett P Fors
- Department of Chemistry, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Robert R Knowles
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
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33
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Pichler CM, Bhattacharjee S, Rahaman M, Uekert T, Reisner E. Conversion of Polyethylene Waste into Gaseous Hydrocarbons via Integrated Tandem Chemical-Photo/Electrocatalytic Processes. ACS Catal 2021; 11:9159-9167. [PMID: 34386271 PMCID: PMC8353629 DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.1c02133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
![]()
The chemical inertness
of polyethylene makes chemical recycling
challenging and motivates the development of new catalytic innovations
to mitigate polymer waste. Current chemical recycling methods yield
a complex mixture of liquid products, which is challenging to utilize
in subsequent processes. Here, we present an oxidative depolymerization
step utilizing diluted nitric acid to convert polyethylene into organic
acids (40% organic acid yield), which can be coupled to a photo- or
electrocatalytic decarboxylation reaction to produce hydrocarbons
(individual hydrocarbon yields of 3 and 20%, respectively) with H2 and CO2 as gaseous byproducts. The integrated
tandem process allows for the direct conversion of polyethylene into
gaseous hydrocarbon products with an overall hydrocarbon yield of
1.0% for the oxidative/photocatalytic route and 7.6% for the oxidative/electrolytic
route. The product selectivity is tunable with photocatalysis using
TiO2 or carbon nitride, yielding alkanes (ethane and propane),
whereas electrocatalysis on carbon electrodes produces alkenes (ethylene
and propylene). This two-step recycling process of plastics can use
sunlight or renewable electricity to convert polyethylene into valuable,
easily separable, gaseous platform chemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian M. Pichler
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K
| | - Subhajit Bhattacharjee
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K
| | - Motiar Rahaman
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K
| | - Taylor Uekert
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K
| | - Erwin Reisner
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K
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34
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Ellis LD, Rorrer NA, Sullivan KP, Otto M, McGeehan JE, Román-Leshkov Y, Wierckx N, Beckham GT. Chemical and biological catalysis for plastics recycling and upcycling. Nat Catal 2021. [DOI: 10.1038/s41929-021-00648-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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35
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Bäckström E, Odelius K, Hakkarainen M. Microwave Assisted Selective Hydrolysis of Polyamides from Multicomponent Carpet Waste. GLOBAL CHALLENGES (HOBOKEN, NJ) 2021; 5:2000119. [PMID: 34267926 PMCID: PMC8272014 DOI: 10.1002/gch2.202000119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Selective hydrolysis of polyamide-6 (PA-6) and polyamide-66 (PA-66) from commercial multicomponent PA-6/PA-66/polypropylene (PP) carpet is demonstrated by a microwave-assisted acid catalyzed hydrothermal process, yielding monomeric products and solid polypropylene residue. First, an effective method is established to chemically recycle neat PA-6 and PA-66 granules using microwave irradiation. The optimized, hydrochloric acid (HCl) catalyzed process leads to selective production of monomers, 6-aminocaproic acid or adipic acid and hexamethylenediamine, after only 30 min. A piece of commercial carpet is then recycled using the same reaction conditions, but with the alteration of the reaction time from 1 to 6 h. The produced water-soluble products and the remaining solid residue are carefully characterized, proving that the polyamide-part of the carpet is selectively hydrolyzed into water-soluble monomers and the polypropylene-part remains as an unconverted solid that can be further used to produce recycled filaments containing the carpet residue and virgin polypropylene. The developed process opens the possibility to recycle multicomponent materials, such as carpets, through selective hydrolysis. It can also contribute to a circular economy, producing original monomers and materials ready for a new life-cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Bäckström
- Department of Fibre and Polymer TechnologySchool of Engineering Sciences in ChemistryBiotechnology and HealthKTH Royal Institute of TechnologyTeknikringen 56–58StockholmSE‐100 44Sweden
| | - Karin Odelius
- Department of Fibre and Polymer TechnologySchool of Engineering Sciences in ChemistryBiotechnology and HealthKTH Royal Institute of TechnologyTeknikringen 56–58StockholmSE‐100 44Sweden
| | - Minna Hakkarainen
- Department of Fibre and Polymer TechnologySchool of Engineering Sciences in ChemistryBiotechnology and HealthKTH Royal Institute of TechnologyTeknikringen 56–58StockholmSE‐100 44Sweden
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36
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Sitadewi D, Yudoko G, Okdinawati L. Bibliographic mapping of post-consumer plastic waste based on hierarchical circular principles across the system perspective. Heliyon 2021; 7:e07154. [PMID: 34141922 PMCID: PMC8187834 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The current dominating production and consumption model is based on the linear economy (LE) model, within which raw materials are extracted-processed-consumed-discarded. A circular economy (CE) constitutes a regenerative systemic approach to economic development which views waste as a valuable resource to be reprocessed back into the economy. In order to understand the circular strategy for a systemic change from an LE to a CE as a means of resolving the issue of plastic waste, this research aims to map current circular strategy trends across the system perspective contained in the literature relating to plastic CE literature. The novelty of the research lies in the mapping and review of the distribution of comprehensive circular strategies within the 9R framework across the entire system perspective (e.g. micro-meso-macro) down to its sub-levels in the literature on a plastic CE. The bibliographic mapping and systematic literature review iindicateed that the majority of the research focused on recycle (R8), followed by refuse (R0), reuse (R3), and reduce (R2). Certain circular strategies are more appropriate to handling certain plastic materials, despite CE's favoring of prevention and recycling over incineration. Recover (R9) is often used to process mixed and contaminated plastic. Recycling (R8) is the most popular circular strategy and the most applicable to plastic material with three recycle trends, namely; mechanical recycling, chemical recycling and DRAM (Distributed-Recycling-and-Additive-Manufacturing). Prolonging the product life through refurbishing (R5) is not applicable to plastic due to its material limitations. Reduce (R2) popularity as circular strategy reflects the preference to reduce consumption, either by launching campaigns to prevent waste or increasing production efficiency. Research on Rethink (R1) has largely focused on rethinking product design, consumer and organization behavior and perceptions of CE. Refuse (R0) strategy is an adoption of bio-based plastics which have a similar function to fossil-based plastics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dania Sitadewi
- School of Business and Management, Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), Bandung, Indonesia
| | - Gatot Yudoko
- School of Business and Management, Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), Bandung, Indonesia
| | - Liane Okdinawati
- School of Business and Management, Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), Bandung, Indonesia
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37
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Ellis L, Orski SV, Kenlaw GA, Norman AG, Beers KL, Román-Leshkov Y, Beckham GT. Tandem Heterogeneous Catalysis for Polyethylene Depolymerization via an Olefin-Intermediate Process. ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING 2021; 9:623-628. [PMID: 38706722 PMCID: PMC11066966 DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.0c07612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
The accumulation of plastic waste in the environment has prompted the development of new chemical recycling technologies. A recently reported approach employed homogeneous organometallic catalysts for tandem dehydrogenation and olefin cross metathesis to depolymerize polyethylene (PE) feedstocks to a mixture of alkane products. Here, we build on that prior work by developing a fully heterogeneous catalyst system using a physical mixture of SnPt/γ-Al2O3 and Re2O7/γ-Al2O3. This heterogeneous catalyst system produces a distribution of linear alkane products from a model, linear C20 alkane, n-eicosane, and from a linear PE substrate (which is representative of high-density polyethylene), both in an n-pentane solvent. For the PE substrate, a molecular weight decrease of 73% was observed at 200 °C in 15 h. This type of tandem chemistry is an example of an olefin-intermediate process, in which poorly reactive aliphatic substrates are first activated through dehydrogenation and then functionalized or cleaved by a highly-active olefin catalyst. Olefin-intermediate processes like that examined here offer both a selective and versatile means to depolymerize polyolefins at lower severity than traditional pyrolysis or cracking conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas
D. Ellis
- Renewable
Resources and Enabling Sciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Sara V. Orski
- Materials
Science and Engineering Division, National
Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, United States
| | - Grace A. Kenlaw
- Materials
Science and Engineering Division, National
Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, United States
| | - Andrew G. Norman
- Materials
Science Center, National Renewable Energy
Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United
States
| | - Kathryn L. Beers
- Materials
Science and Engineering Division, National
Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, United States
| | - Yuriy Román-Leshkov
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Gregg T. Beckham
- Renewable
Resources and Enabling Sciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
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38
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Ultrasonic Degradation of Polystyrene for Tailoring Molecular Weight and Polydispersity of Polystyrene Fragments. CHEM-ING-TECH 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/cite.202000119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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39
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Worch JC, Dove AP. 100th Anniversary of Macromolecular Science Viewpoint: Toward Catalytic Chemical Recycling of Waste (and Future) Plastics. ACS Macro Lett 2020; 9:1494-1506. [PMID: 35617072 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.0c00582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The current global materials economy has long been inefficient due to unproductive reuse and recycling efforts. Within the wider materials portfolio, plastics have been revolutionary to many industries but they have been treated as disposable commodities leading to their increasing accumulation in the environment as waste. The field of chemistry has had significant bearing in ushering in the current plastics industry and will undoubtedly have a hand in transforming it to become more sustainable. Existing approaches include the development of synthetic biodegradable plastics and turning to renewable raw materials in order to produce plastics similar to our current petrol-based materials or to create new polymers. Additionally, chemists are confronting the environmental crisis by developing alternative recycling methods to deal with the legacy of plastic waste. Important emergent technologies, such as catalytic chemical recycling or upcycling, have the potential to alleviate numerous issues related to our current and future refuse and, in doing so, help pivot our materials economy from linearity to circularity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua C. Worch
- School of Chemistry, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew P. Dove
- School of Chemistry, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
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40
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Tennakoon A, Wu X, Paterson AL, Patnaik S, Pei Y, LaPointe AM, Ammal SC, Hackler RA, Heyden A, Slowing II, Coates GW, Delferro M, Peters B, Huang W, Sadow AD, Perras FA. Catalytic upcycling of high-density polyethylene via a processive mechanism. Nat Catal 2020. [DOI: 10.1038/s41929-020-00519-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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41
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Singh RK, Ruj B, Sadhukhan AK, Gupta P. Thermal degradation of waste plastics under non-sweeping atmosphere: Part 1: Effect of temperature, product optimization, and degradation mechanism. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2019; 239:395-406. [PMID: 30928634 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.03.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2018] [Revised: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Continuous generation of plastic waste has prompted substantial research efforts in its utilization as a feedstock for energy generation. Pyrolysis has emerged as one of the best waste management technique for energy extraction from the plastic waste. The objective of this work is to investigate the effect of operating temperature on the liquid product yields in the pyrolysis process by non-isothermal heating. Non-catalytic thermal pyrolysis of waste polyethylene (PE) [high density polyethylene (HDPE)], waste polypropene (PP), waste polystyrene (PS), waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and mixed plastic waste (MPW) was carried out in a non-sweeping atmosphere in a semi-batch reactor at four different temperatures 450, 500, 550, and 600 °C. The minimum degradation temperature of the mixed and individual plastics was obtained using a thermogravimetric apparatus (TGA) at a heating rate of 20 °C/min. The TGA results show that all plastics degrade in a single step and the degradation temperatures of PS > PET > PP > HDPE, while mixed plastic degradation indicates two distinct degradation steps. Further, a waste polymer shows a lower degradation temperature than the virgin polymer. The degradation of HDPE is found to produce the maximum oil yield with minimum solid residue. The degradation of PET results in the highest amount of solid and benzoic acid as crystals and gas with no oil. Degradation of mixed plastic causes oil yield in the intermediate range of pyrolysis of individual plastic wastes. Overall, 500 °C is observed to be an optimum temperature for the recovery of low-density pyrolytic oil with the highest liquid yield. The degradation of PE and PP is found to be caused by random chain scission followed by inter and intramolecular hydrogen transfer. The degradation of PS occurs by side elimination or end chain scission followed by β-scission mechanism. The degradation of mix plastics results from random chain scission followed by β-scission mechanism. The effect of temperature on oil and gas recovery as well as recovery time was also assessed.
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Affiliation(s)
- R K Singh
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Durgapur-713209, West Bengal, India
| | - Biswajit Ruj
- Environmental Engineering Group, CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute, Durgapur-713209, West Bengal, India.
| | - A K Sadhukhan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Durgapur-713209, West Bengal, India
| | - P Gupta
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Durgapur-713209, West Bengal, India
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42
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Jehanno C, Pérez-Madrigal MM, Demarteau J, Sardon H, Dove AP. Organocatalysis for depolymerisation. Polym Chem 2019. [DOI: 10.1039/c8py01284a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Chemical recycling of plastics offers a green method to deal with plastic waste. In this review, we highlight the recent advances made by applying organocatalysts to chemically degrade polymers as a promising tool to reach a circular plastic economy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Coralie Jehanno
- POLYMAT
- University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU
- Joxe Mari Korta Center
- 20018 Donostia-San Sebastian
- Spain
| | | | - Jeremy Demarteau
- POLYMAT
- University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU
- Joxe Mari Korta Center
- 20018 Donostia-San Sebastian
- Spain
| | - Haritz Sardon
- POLYMAT
- University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU
- Joxe Mari Korta Center
- 20018 Donostia-San Sebastian
- Spain
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