A general strategy for recycling polyester wastes into carboxylic acids and hydrocarbons

Wei Zeng, Yanfei Zhao, Fengtao Zhang, Rongxiang Li, Minhao Tang, Xiaoqian Chang, Ying Wang, Fengtian Wu, Buxing Han and Zhimin Liu ()
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Wei Zeng: Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Yanfei Zhao: Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Fengtao Zhang: Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Rongxiang Li: Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Minhao Tang: Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Xiaoqian Chang: Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Ying Wang: Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Fengtian Wu: Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Buxing Han: Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Zhimin Liu: Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract Chemical recycling of plastic wastes is of great significance for sustainable development, which also represents a largely untapped opportunity for the synthesis of value-added chemicals. Herein, we report a novel and general strategy to degrade polyesters via directly breaking the Calkoxy-O bond by nucleophilic substitution of halide anion of ionic liquids under mild conditions. Combined with hydrogenation over Pd/C, 1-butyl-2,3-dimethylimidazolium bromide can realize the deconstruction of various polyesters including aromatic and aliphatic ones, copolyesters and polyester mixtures into corresponding carboxylic acids and alkanes; meanwhile, tetrabutylphosphonium bromide can also achieve direct decomposition of the polyesters with β-H into carboxylic acids and alkenes under hydrogen- and metal-free conditions. It is found that the hydrogen-bonding interaction between ionic liquid and ester group in polyester enhances the nucleophilicity of halide anion and activates the Calkoxy-O bond. The findings demonstrate how polyester wastes can be a viable feedstock for the production of carboxylic acids and hydrocarbons.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44604-1

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