Electrochemical recycling of polymeric materials

Zhang, Weizhe; Killian, Lars; Thevenon, Arnaud

doi:10.1039/d4sc01754d

Chem. Sci.

2024

DOI: 10.1039/d4sc01754d

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Electrochemical recycling of polymeric materials

Weizhe Zhang,

Lars Killian,

Arnaud Thevenon

Abstract: Polymeric materials play a pivotal role in our modern world, offering a diverse range of applications. However, they have been designed with end-properties in mind over recyclability, leading to a...

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2024

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Cited by 8 publications

References 142 publications

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Anodisches Recycling von gängigen Polymeren: Die Kombination von Eisen‐Elektrokatalyse und skalierbarer Wasserstoffentwicklungsreaktion

Hourtoule,

Trienes,

Ackermann

2024

Angewandte Chemie

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Kunststoffe sind in unserem Alltag allgegenwärtig, und die Akkumulation von Kunststoffabfällen in unserer Umwelt stellt ein großes gesellschaftliches Problem dar. Daher sind Methoden für das Recycling von Kunststoffabfällen im Hinblick auf eine künftige Kreislaufwirtschaft von hohem Interesse. Insbesondere der Abbau von Polymeren nach Nutzung durch Verbraucher hin zu wertschöpfenden kleinen Molekülen stellt eine nachhaltige Strategie für eine Kohlenstoff‐Kreislaufwirtschaft dar. Trotz jüngster Fortschritte ist der chemische Polymerabbau nach wie vor weitgehend auf chemische Redox‐Reagenzien beschränkt oder durch eine geringe Energieeffizienz photochemischer Prozesse limitiert. In dieser Arbeit berichten wir über einen leistungsstarken eisenkatalysierten Abbau von Polystyrolen mit hohem Molekulargewicht durch Elektrochemie, um effizient monomere Benzoylprodukte zu liefern. Die Robustheit der Ferraelektrokatalyse wurde durch den Abbau von verschiedenen realen Nach‐Gebrauchs‐Kunststoffen, ebenfalls im Gramm‐Maßstab, bestätigt. Die kathodische Halbreaktion wurde weitgehend durch die Wasserstoffentwicklungsreaktion (HER) dargestellt. Der skalierbare elektrolytische Polymerabbau konnte ausschließlich mit Solarenergie über ein handelsübliches Solarpanel betrieben werden, was auf ein herausragendes Potenzial für eine dezentralisierte, grüne Wasserstoffwirtschaft hinweist.

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Anodisches Recycling von gängigen Polymeren: Die Kombination von Eisen‐Elektrokatalyse und skalierbarer Wasserstoffentwicklungsreaktion

Hourtoule,

Trienes,

Ackermann

2024

Angewandte Chemie

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Anodic Commodity Polymer Recycling: The Merger of Iron‐Electrocatalysis with Scalable Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Hourtoule,

Trienes,

Ackermann

2024

Angew Chem Int Ed

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Plastics are omnipresent in our everyday life, and accumulation of post‐consumer plastic waste in our environment represents a major societal challenge. Hence, methods for plastic waste recycling are in high demand for a future circular economy. Specifically, the degradation of post‐consumer polymers towards value‐added small molecules constitutes a sustainable strategy for a carbon circular economy. Despite of recent advances, chemical polymer degradation continues to be largely limited to chemical redox agents or low energy efficiency in photochemical processes. We herein report a powerful iron‐catalyzed degradation of high molecular weight polystyrenes through electrochemistry to efficiently deliver monomeric benzoyl products. The robustness of the ferraelectrocatalysis was mirrored by the degradation of various real‐life post‐consumer plastics, also on gram scale. The cathodic half reaction was largely represented by the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The scalable electro‐polymer degradation could be solely fueled by solar energy through a commercially available solar panel, indicating an outstanding potential for a decentralized green hydrogen economy.

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Low‐Temperature Catalytic Approaches for Upcycling Plastics into Oxygenated Aromatic Compounds

Lim

2024

ChemCatChem

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Plastic upcycling is an emerging strategy to address the global plastic waste crisis, where these abundant polymers are converted into products of higher economic value. This not only complements and adds to existing recycling efforts, but also offers opportunities to retain the inherent chemical value of the plastics within circular loops, albeit in different forms for alternative uses. With aromatics constituting a major component of current petrochemical production, the production of aromatics from post‐synthetic conversion of plastics can potentially alleviate the demand on fossil fuels. Although BTX (benzene, toluene, xylenes) production has been a major focus of these efforts, oxygenated aromatic compounds (OACs), such as benzoic acids, are also highly‐valued across various industrial sectors, and necessitate fundamentally different processes from BTX synthesis from plastics. Herein, some of the most promising emerging methods for direct synthesis of OACs from commodity petroleum‐based plastics are spotlighted, including from non‐oxygenated hydrocarbon polymers such as polystyrene. With a special emphasis on emerging low temperature technologies (<150 oC), which encompass but are not limited to photo‐ and biocatalysis, this Concepts article aims to position plastics as a viable source of OACs accessible under sustainable conditions for future industrial translations.

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Electrochemical recycling of polymeric materials

Abstract: Polymeric materials play a pivotal role in our modern world, offering a diverse range of applications. However, they have been designed with end-properties in mind over recyclability, leading to a...

Cited by 8 publications

References 142 publications

Anodisches Recycling von gängigen Polymeren: Die Kombination von Eisen‐Elektrokatalyse und skalierbarer Wasserstoffentwicklungsreaktion

Anodisches Recycling von gängigen Polymeren: Die Kombination von Eisen‐Elektrokatalyse und skalierbarer Wasserstoffentwicklungsreaktion

Anodic Commodity Polymer Recycling: The Merger of Iron‐Electrocatalysis with Scalable Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Low‐Temperature Catalytic Approaches for Upcycling Plastics into Oxygenated Aromatic Compounds

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