1
|
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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Liu Y, Zhang C, Feng J, Wang X, Ding Z, He L, Zhang Q, Chen J, Yin Y. Integrated Photochromic-Photothermal Processes for Catalytic Plastic Upcycling. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202308930. [PMID: 37527972 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202308930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
Incorporating high-energy ultraviolet (UV) photons into photothermal catalytic processes may enable photothermal-photochemical synergistic catalysis, which represents a transformative technology for waste plastic recycling. The major challenge is avoiding side reactions and by-products caused by these energetic photons. Here, we break through the limitation of the existing photothermal conversion mechanism and propose a photochromic-photothermal catalytic system based on polyol-ligated TiO2 nanocrystals. Upon UV or sunlight irradiation, the chemically bonded polyols can rapidly capture holes generated by TiO2 , enabling photogenerated electrons to reduce Ti4+ to Ti3+ and produce oxygen vacancies. The resulting abundant defect energy levels boost sunlight-to-heat conversion efficiency, and simultaneously the oxygen vacancies facilitate polyester glycolysis by activating the nucleophilic addition-elimination process. As a result, compared to commercial TiO2 (P25), we achieve 6-fold and 12.2-fold performance enhancements under thermal and photothermal conditions, respectively, while maintaining high selectivity to high-valued monomers. This paradigm-shift strategy directs energetic UV photons for activating catalysts and avoids their interaction with reactants, opening the possibility of substantially elevating the efficiency of more solar-driven catalysis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yu Liu
- Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials & Devices, Joint International Research Laboratory of Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
| | - Congyang Zhang
- Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials & Devices, Joint International Research Laboratory of Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
- Department of Chemistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Ji Feng
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Xuchun Wang
- Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials & Devices, Joint International Research Laboratory of Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
- Department of Chemistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Zhifeng Ding
- Department of Chemistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Le He
- Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials & Devices, Joint International Research Laboratory of Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
| | - Qiao Zhang
- Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials & Devices, Joint International Research Laboratory of Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
| | - Jinxing Chen
- Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials & Devices, Joint International Research Laboratory of Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
| | - Yadong Yin
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Xia Y, Yue X, Sun Y, Zhang C, Zhang X. Chemically Recyclable Polyethylene-like Sulfur-Containing Plastics from Sustainable Feedstocks. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202219251. [PMID: 36737409 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202219251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The green revolution in plastics should be accelerated due to growing sustainability concerns. Here, we develop a series of chemically recyclable polymers from the first reported cascade polymerization of H2 O, COS, and diacrylates. In addition to abundant feedstocks, the method is efficient and air-tolerant, uses common organic bases as catalysts, and yields polymers with high molecular weights under mild conditions. Such polymers, structurally like polyethylene with low-density in-chain polar groups, manifest impressive toughness and ductility comparable to high-density polyethylene. The in-chain ester group acts as a breaking point, enabling these polymers to undergo chemical recycling through two loops. The structures and properties of these polymers also have an immeasurably expanded range owing to the versatility of our method. The readily available raw materials, facile synthesis, and high performance make these polymers promising prospects as sustainable materials in practice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yanni Xia
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, International Research Center for X Polymers, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Xinchen Yue
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, International Research Center for X Polymers, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Yue Sun
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, International Research Center for X Polymers, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Chengjian Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, International Research Center for X Polymers, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Xinghong Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, International Research Center for X Polymers, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China.,Center of Chemistry for Frontier Technologies, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China.,Shanxi-Zheda Institute of Advanced Materials and Chemical Engineering, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Kalathil S, Miller M, Reisner E. Microbial Fermentation of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Plastic Waste for the Production of Chemicals or Electricity. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022; 61:e202211057. [PMID: 36103351 PMCID: PMC9828132 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202211057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Ideonella sakaiensis (I. sakaiensis) can grow on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as the major carbon and energy source. Previous work has shown that PET conversion in the presence of oxygen released carbon dioxide and water while yielding adenosine triphosphate (ATP) through oxidative phosphorylation. This study demonstrates that I. sakaiensis is a facultative anaerobe that ferments PET to the feedstock chemicals acetate and ethanol in the absence of oxygen. In addition to PET, the pure monomer ethylene glycol (EG), the intermediate product ethanol, and the carbohydrate fermentation test substance maltose can also serve as fermenting substrates. Co-culturing of I. sakaiensis with the electrogenic and acetate-consuming Geobacter sulfurreducens produced electricity from PET or EG. This newly identified plastic fermentation process by I. sakaiensis provides thus a novel biosynthetic route to produce high-value chemicals or electricity from plastic waste streams.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shafeer Kalathil
- Yusuf Hamied Department of ChemistryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeCB2 1EWUK
| | - Melanie Miller
- Yusuf Hamied Department of ChemistryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeCB2 1EWUK
| | - Erwin Reisner
- Yusuf Hamied Department of ChemistryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeCB2 1EWUK
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Wu Y, Wang X, Kirlikovali KO, Gong X, Atilgan A, Ma K, Schweitzer NM, Gianneschi NC, Li Z, Zhang X, Farha OK. Catalytic Degradation of Polyethylene Terephthalate Using a Phase-Transitional Zirconium-Based Metal-Organic Framework. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022; 61:e202117528. [PMID: 35353429 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202117528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is utilized as one of the most popular consumer plastics worldwide, but difficulties associated with recycling PET have generated a severe environmental crisis with most PET ending its lifecycle in landfills. We report that zirconium-based metal-organic framework (Zr-MOF) UiO-66 deconstructs waste PET into the building blocks terephthalic acid (TA) and mono-methyl terephthalate (MMT) within 24 hours at 260 °C (total yield of 98 % under 1 atm H2 and 81 % under 1 atm Ar). Extensive structural characterization studies reveal that during the degradation process, UiO-66 undergoes an intriguing transformation into MIL-140A, which is another Zr-MOF that shows good catalytic activity toward PET degradation under similar reaction conditions. These results illustrate the diversity of applications for Zr-MOFs and establish MOFs as a new class of polymer degradation catalysts with the potential to address long-standing challenges associated with plastic waste.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yufang Wu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510640, P. R. China.,Department of Chemistry and International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Xingjie Wang
- Department of Chemistry and International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Kent O Kirlikovali
- Department of Chemistry and International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Xinyi Gong
- Department of Chemistry and International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Ahmet Atilgan
- Department of Chemistry and International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Kaikai Ma
- Department of Chemistry and International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Neil M Schweitzer
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Nathan C Gianneschi
- Department of Chemistry and International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Materials Science & Engineering, Pharmacology, Simpson-Querrey Institute, Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Lurie Cancer Center, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Zhong Li
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510640, P. R. China
| | - Xuan Zhang
- Department of Chemistry and International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Omar K Farha
- Department of Chemistry and International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.,Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Kleinhans K, Hallemans M, Huysveld S, Thomassen G, Ragaert K, Van Geem KM, Roosen M, Mys N, Dewulf J, De Meester S. Development and application of a predictive modelling approach for household packaging waste flows in sorting facilities. Waste Manag 2021; 120:290-302. [PMID: 33333467 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2020.11.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/29/2020] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Household packaging waste sorting facilities consist of complex networks of processes to separate diverse waste streams. These facilities are a key first step to re-enter materials into the recycling chain. However, so far there are no general methods to predict the performance of such sorting facilities, i.e. how efficiently the heterogeneous packaging waste is sorted into fractions with value for further recycling. In this paper, a model of the material flow in a sorting facility is presented, which allows changing the incoming waste composition, split factors on the sorting units as well as the setup of the sorting facility. The performance of the sorting facility is judged based on the purity of the output material (grade) and the recovery of the input material. A validation of the model was performed via a case study on Belgian post-consumer packaging waste with a selection of typical waste items that can be found in this stream. Moreover, the model was used to predict the possible sorting qualities of future Belgian post-consumer packaging waste after an extension of the allowed waste packaging items in the waste stream. Finally, a sensitivity analysis was performed on the split factors, which are a key data source in the model. Overall, the developed model is flexible and able to predict the performance of packaging waste sorting facilities as well as support waste management and design for recycling decisions, including future design of packaging, to ensure proper sorting and separation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin Kleinhans
- Laboratory for Circular Process Engineering (LCPE), Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Graaf Karel de Goedelaan 5, 8500 Kortrijk, Belgium; Sustainable Systems Engineering (STEN), Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Center for Polymer and Material Technologies (CPMT), Department of Materials, Textiles and Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Ghent University, Technologiepark 130, 9052 Zwijnaarde, Belgium
| | - Michelle Hallemans
- Sustainable Systems Engineering (STEN), Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sophie Huysveld
- Sustainable Systems Engineering (STEN), Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Gwenny Thomassen
- Sustainable Systems Engineering (STEN), Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Environmental Economics, Department of Engineering Management, Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Antwerp, Prinsstraat 13, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Kim Ragaert
- Center for Polymer and Material Technologies (CPMT), Department of Materials, Textiles and Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Ghent University, Technologiepark 130, 9052 Zwijnaarde, Belgium
| | - Kevin M Van Geem
- Laboratory for Chemical Technology (LCT), Department of Materials, Textiles and Chemical Engineering (MaTCh), Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Ghent University, Technologiepark 125, 9052 Zwijnaarde, Belgium
| | - Martijn Roosen
- Laboratory for Circular Process Engineering (LCPE), Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Graaf Karel de Goedelaan 5, 8500 Kortrijk, Belgium
| | - Nicolas Mys
- Laboratory for Circular Process Engineering (LCPE), Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Graaf Karel de Goedelaan 5, 8500 Kortrijk, Belgium; Center for Polymer and Material Technologies (CPMT), Department of Materials, Textiles and Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Ghent University, Technologiepark 130, 9052 Zwijnaarde, Belgium
| | - Jo Dewulf
- Sustainable Systems Engineering (STEN), Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Steven De Meester
- Laboratory for Circular Process Engineering (LCPE), Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Graaf Karel de Goedelaan 5, 8500 Kortrijk, Belgium.
| |
Collapse
|