Issue 3, 2024

Enhancing the photocatalytic upcycling of polystyrene to benzoic acid: a combined computational-experimental approach for acridinium catalyst design

Abstract

Converting polystyrene into value-added oxygenated aromatic compounds is an attractive end-of-life upcycling strategy. However, identification of appropriate catalysts often involves laborious and time-consuming empirical screening. Herein, after demonstrating the feasibility of using acridinium salts for upcycling polystyrene into benzoic acid by photoredox catalysis for the first time, we applied low-cost descriptor-based combinatorial in silico screening to predict the photocatalytic performance of a family of potential candidates. Through this approach, we identified a non-intuitive fluorinated acridinium catalyst that outperforms other candidates for converting polystyrene to benzoic acid in useful yields at low catalyst loadings (≤5 mol%). In addition, this catalyst also proved effective with real-life polystyrene waste containing dyes and additives. Our study underscores the potential of computer-aided catalyst design for valorizing polymeric waste into essential chemical feedstock for a more sustainable future.

Graphical abstract: Enhancing the photocatalytic upcycling of polystyrene to benzoic acid: a combined computational-experimental approach for acridinium catalyst design

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Edge Article
Submitted
29 Nov. 2023
Accepted
07 Dec. 2023
First published
18 Dec. 2023
This article is Open Access

All publication charges for this article have been paid for by the Royal Society of Chemistry
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Chem. Sci., 2024,15, 1061-1067

Enhancing the photocatalytic upcycling of polystyrene to benzoic acid: a combined computational-experimental approach for acridinium catalyst design

A. Ong, Z. C. Wong, K. L. O. Chin, W. W. Loh, M. H. Chua, S. J. Ang and J. Y. C. Lim, Chem. Sci., 2024, 15, 1061 DOI: 10.1039/D3SC06388G

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