Journal of the American Chemical Society,
Journal Year:
2025,
Volume and Issue:
unknown
Published: Jan. 8, 2025
Owing
to
massive
production
and
poor
end-of-life
management,
plastic
waste
pollution
has
become
one
of
the
most
pressing
environmental
crises.
In
response
mounting
crisis,
past
several
decades
have
witnessed
development
numerous
methods
technologies
for
recycling.
However,
current
recycling
often
produce
low-quality
or
low-value
products,
making
it
difficult
recover
operating
costs.
To
this
end,
we
report
a
novel
preoxygenation-induced
strategy
nitrogenative
degradation
real-life
polystyrene
plastics
into
high-value
aromatic
nitrogen
compounds
in
cost-effective
manner.
Thus,
expensive
highly
demanding
benzonitrile
as
well
benzamide
were
obtained
up
74%
overall
isolated
yield
from
by
using
CuBr
catalyst,
O2
oxidant,
CH3CN
source.
Detailed
mechanistic
investigations
indicate
that
hydroxyl
radicals
activation
play
role
selective
aerobic
process.
Furthermore,
multiple
reaction
pathways
contribute
formation
benzamide.
Journal of the American Chemical Society,
Journal Year:
2025,
Volume and Issue:
unknown
Published: Jan. 29, 2025
Photocatalytic
upcycling
of
waste
polyolefins
into
value-added
chemicals
provides
promise
in
plastic
management
and
resource
utilization.
Previous
works
demonstrate
that
can
be
converted
carboxylic
acids,
with
CO2
as
the
final
oxidation
product.
It
is
still
challenging
to
explore
more
transformation
products,
particularly
mild-oxidation
products
such
alcohols,
because
their
instability
compared
polymer
substrates,
which
are
prone
during
catalytic
reactions.
In
this
work,
we
propose
an
efficient
strategy
regulate
product
type
through
precise
control
radicals,
intermediates,
reaction
paths.
Taking
commonly
used
photocatalyst
C3N4
example,
its
major
acids
CO2.
When
MoS2
introduced
construct
a
Z-scheme
heterostructure,
gas
significantly
reduced
alcohols
appear
high
yield
1358.8
μmol
gcat-1
selectivity
up
80.3%.
This
primarily
attributed
presence
•OH
radicals
from
oxygen
reduction,
acting
key
role
alcohol
formation
while
simultaneously
suppressing
competing
pathways
•O2-
1O2,
thus
reducing
overoxidation
products.
The
β-scission
C-C
bonds
chains
generates
intermediate
alkyl
species,
followed
by
combination
produce
methanol,
energetically
favorable
for
MoS2/C3N4.
contrast,
species
couple
form
formic
acid,
C3N4.
work
new
approaches
controlling
types
offers
insights
involved
polyolefin
photorefinery.
Chemical Communications,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
unknown
Published: Jan. 1, 2024
This
mini-review
highlights
the
scientific
breakthroughs
in
photochemical
upcycling
polymers
through
oxidative
degradation
and
post-polymerization
modification
via
visible
light-driven
C–H
bond
activation.
Organic Letters,
Journal Year:
2025,
Volume and Issue:
unknown
Published: Jan. 31, 2025
We
report
a
directing
group
(DG)-enabled
strategy
for
polyamide
depolymerization.
Pyridine-based
DGs
selectively
interact
with
In(III)
catalysts,
activating
amide
bonds
catalytic
cleavage
via
alcoholysis.
The
process
achieves
efficient
depolymerization
of
DG-introduced
polyamides
into
recyclable
monomers,
providing
sustainable
chemical
recycling
approach
robust
polyamides.
Angewandte Chemie International Edition,
Journal Year:
2025,
Volume and Issue:
unknown
Published: Feb. 6, 2025
Poly(ethylene
terephthalate)
(PET),
with
an
annual
production
of
exceeding
70
million
tons,
is
mainly
utilized
in
disposable
fields
and
subsequently
contribute
to
severe
environmental
pollution.
Conventional
chemical
recycling,
which
typically
involves
depolymerizing
polymer
into
monomers,
limited
due
the
intricate
recycling
process,
excess
using
unrecyclable
solvents
low
conversion.
Inspired
by
protein's
molecular
switches,
we
propose
a
novel
polymer-to-polymer
strategy
based
on
polycondensation
principles
upcycling
waste
PET
high-value
recyclable
poly(ethylene-co-1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol
derivatives
containing
switches.
Upon
deactivating
switch,
acidification
reaction
occurs
within
system,
leading
rapid
controllable
reduction
weight
imbalance
reactive
group.
Conversely,
activating
switch
triggers
ring-closing
that
detaches
acid
anhydrides,
bringing
about
equal
molar
ratio
groups
thereby
facilitating
increase
weight.
By
simply
incorporating
condensation
products
melt
polycondensation,
closed-loop
capability
achieved
without
necessitating
excessive
organic
or
complex
depolymerization
processes.
The
present
study
not
only
presents
pathway
for
end-of-use
but
also
introduces
innovative
concept
switching
recyclability
polymers,
demonstrating
significant
potential
large-scale
implementation.
Angewandte Chemie,
Journal Year:
2025,
Volume and Issue:
unknown
Published: Feb. 6, 2025
Abstract
Poly(ethylene
terephthalate)
(PET),
with
an
annual
production
of
exceeding
70
million
tons,
is
mainly
utilized
in
disposable
fields
and
subsequently
contribute
to
severe
environmental
pollution.
Conventional
chemical
recycling,
which
typically
involves
depolymerizing
polymer
into
monomers,
limited
due
the
intricate
recycling
process,
excess
using
unrecyclable
solvents
low
conversion.
Inspired
by
protein's
molecular
switches,
we
propose
a
novel
polymer‐to‐polymer
strategy
based
on
polycondensation
principles
upcycling
waste
PET
high‐value
recyclable
poly(ethylene‐
co
‐1,4‐cyclohexanedimethanol
derivatives
containing
switches.
Upon
deactivating
switch,
acidification
reaction
occurs
within
system,
leading
rapid
controllable
reduction
weight
imbalance
reactive
group.
Conversely,
activating
switch
triggers
ring‐closing
that
detaches
acid
anhydrides,
bringing
about
equal
molar
ratio
groups
thereby
facilitating
increase
weight.
By
simply
incorporating
condensation
products
melt
polycondensation,
closed‐loop
capability
achieved
without
necessitating
excessive
organic
or
complex
depolymerization
processes.
The
present
study
not
only
presents
pathway
for
end‐of‐use
but
also
introduces
innovative
concept
switching
recyclability
polymers,
demonstrating
significant
potential
large‐scale
implementation.
Science for energy and environment.,
Journal Year:
2025,
Volume and Issue:
unknown, P. 4 - 4
Published: March 27, 2025
Review
Upcycling
of
Waste
Plastics
into
Value-Added
Chemicals
Jin
Xu
and
Jing
Zhang
*
State
Key
Laboratory
Chemical
Engineering,
East
China
University
Science
Technology,
130
Meilong
Road,
Shanghai
200237,
Correspondence:
[email protected]
Received:
8
November
2024;
Revised:
22
January
2025;
Accepted:
24
March
Published:
27
2025
Abstract:
The
rapid
increase
in
plastic
production
has
led
to
a
severe
waste
crisis,
driving
the
development
various
recycling
technologies
mitigate
this
growing
issue.
However,
these
often
encounter
substantial
economic
environmental
challenges
their
implementation.
An
increasingly
attractive
alternative
is
chemical
upcycling,
which
can
transform
plastics
value-added
chemicals.
This
review
systematically
examines
upcycling
applicable
major
commercial
plastics,
including
polyethylene
terephthalate
(PET),
polyolefins,
polystyrene
(PS),
polyvinyl
chloride
(PVC).
We
focus
on
key
strategies
such
as
solvolysis,
catalytic
pyrolysis,
hydrocracking
hydrogenolysis,
along
with
some
emerging
approaches
electrocatalysis
photooxidation,
aiming
summarize
trends
plastics.
Macromolecular Rapid Communications,
Journal Year:
2025,
Volume and Issue:
unknown
Published: April 18, 2025
Abstract
The
demand
for
commodity
plastics
reaches
unprecedented
dimensions.
In
contrast
to
the
well‐developed
plethora
of
methods
polymer
synthesis,
sustainable
strategies
end‐of‐life
management
continue
be
scarce.
While
mechanical
re‐cycling
often
results
in
downgraded
materials,
chemical
or
up‐cycling
offers
tremendous
potential
an
efficient
and
green
approach,
thereby
addressing
precarious
treatment
post‐use
within
a
circular
carbon
economy.
Recently,
electrochemistry
surfaced
as
uniquely
powerful
tool
via
functionalization
degradation
obtaining
either
novel
polymers
with
valorized
properties
high‐value
recycled
small
molecules,
respectively.
discussing
recent
progress
that
domain,
future
perspectives
electrochemical
modifications
until
January
2025
are
outlined
herein.