Issue 4, 2021

Catalytic methods for chemical recycling or upcycling of commercial polymers

Abstract

Polymers (plastics) have transformed our lives by providing access to inexpensive and versatile materials with a variety of useful properties. While polymers have improved our lives in many ways, their longevity has created some unintended consequences. The extreme stability and durability of most commercial polymers, combined with the lack of equivalent degradable alternatives and ineffective collection and recycling policies, have led to an accumulation of polymers in landfills and oceans. This problem is reaching a critical threat to the environment, creating a demand for immediate action. Chemical recycling and upcycling involve the conversion of polymer materials into their original monomers, fuels or chemical precursors for value-added products. These approaches are the most promising for value-recovery of post-consumer polymer products; however, they are often cost-prohibitive in comparison to current recycling and disposal methods. Catalysts can be used to accelerate and improve product selectivity for chemical recycling and upcycling of polymers. This review aims to not only highlight and describe the tremendous efforts towards the development of improved catalysts for well-known chemical recycling processes, but also identify new promising methods for catalytic recycling or upcycling of the most abundant commercial polymers.

Graphical abstract: Catalytic methods for chemical recycling or upcycling of commercial polymers

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
09 ágú. 2020
Accepted
14 des. 2020
First published
23 des. 2020

Mater. Horiz., 2021,8, 1084-1129

Catalytic methods for chemical recycling or upcycling of commercial polymers

S. C. Kosloski-Oh, Z. A. Wood, Y. Manjarrez, J. P. de los Rios and M. E. Fieser, Mater. Horiz., 2021, 8, 1084 DOI: 10.1039/D0MH01286F

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements