Defect-Enhanced Photothermal Catalysis over ZnO for Efficient Depolymerization of Waste Polyester into High-Purity BHET

Abstract

We report a strategy to enhance the photothermal catalytic performance of ZnO by introducing oxygen vacancies. Under 2.2 W•cm -2 irradiation, the catalyst rapidly elevates the reaction temperature to 190 ℃, achieving complete PET conversion within 1 h and yielding BHET with a purity of approximately 96%, substantially outperforming pristine ZnO2