Conversion of Plastic Waste into Supports for Nanostructured Heterogeneous Catalysts: Application in Environmental Remediation

Abstract

Plastics are ubiquitous in our society and are used in many industries, such as packaging, electronics, the automotive industry, and medical and health sectors, and plastic waste is among the types of waste of higher environmental concern. The increase in the amount of plastic waste produced daily has increased environmental problems, such as pollution by micro-plastics, contamination of the food chain, biodiversity degradation and economic losses. The selective and efficient conversion of plastic waste for applications in environmental remediation, such as by obtaining composites, is a strategy of the scientific community for the recovery of plastic waste. The development of polymeric supports for efficient, sustainable, and low-cost heterogeneous catalysts for the treatment of organic/inorganic contaminants is highly desirable yet still a great challenge; this will be the main focus of this work. Common commercial polymers, like polystyrene, polypropylene, polyethylene therephthalate, polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride, are addressed herein, as are their main physicochemical properties, such as molecular mass, degree of crystallinity and others. Additionally, we discuss the environmental and health risks of plastic debris and the main recycling technologies as well as their issues and environmental impact. The use of nanomaterials raises concerns about toxicity and reinforces the need to apply supports; this means that the recycling of plastics in this way may tackle two issues. Finally, we dissert about the advances in turning plastic waste into support for nanocatalysts for environmental remediation, mainly metal and metal oxide nanoparticles.

Recent advances in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) recycling

“…These catalyst supports can serve as platforms for active metals or metal oxide catalysts, enabling efficient chemical reactions in various applications. This approach not only reduces waste generation but also contributes to the development of sustainable and eco‐friendly technologies 223 …”

“…Schematic illustration of the conversion cycle of PVC waste into supports for nanostructured heterogeneous catalysts. Reproduced with permission 223 . Copyright 2021, Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).…”

“…This approach not only reduces waste generation but also contributes to the development of sustainable and eco-friendly technologies. 223 The scientific community is actively pursuing the selective and efficient recovery of plastic waste for environmental depollution applications, including the production of composites. 223 One particular challenge is the development of polymer supports that are costeffective, durable, and efficient for use as heterogeneous catalysts in treating organic and inorganic contaminants.…”

“…223 The scientific community is actively pursuing the selective and efficient recovery of plastic waste for environmental depollution applications, including the production of composites. 223 One particular challenge is the development of polymer supports that are costeffective, durable, and efficient for use as heterogeneous catalysts in treating organic and inorganic contaminants. In this regard, researchers have focused on recovering various types of plastic waste, such as polystyrene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, and polyvinyl chloride (as shown in Figure 13), with the aim of addressing this challenge.…”

“…In this regard, researchers have focused on recovering various types of plastic waste, such as polystyrene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, and polyvinyl chloride (as shown in Figure 13), with the aim of addressing this challenge. 223,228 Extensive research has been conducted on the utilization of PVC waste in composite fabrication applications, specifically for filtration and ultrafiltration membranes. [231][232][233] In a study by Aji et al…”