Versatile Chemical Recycling Strategies: Value-Added Chemicals from Polyester and Polycarbonate Waste

Jack M. Payne, Muhammad Kamran, Matthew G. Davidson, Matthew D. Jones

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

36 Citations (SciVal)

Abstract

ZnII-complexes bearing half-salan ligands were exploited in the mild and selective chemical upcycling of various commercial polyesters and polycarbonates. Remarkably, we report the first example of discrete metal-mediated poly(bisphenol A carbonate) (BPA-PC) methanolysis being appreciably active at room temperature. Indeed, Zn(2)2 and Zn(2)Et achieved complete BPA-PC consumption within 12–18 mins in 2-Me-THF, noting high bisphenol A (BPA) yields (SBPA=85–91 %) within 2–4 h. Further kinetic analysis found such catalysts to possess kapp values of 0.28±0.040 and 0.47±0.049 min−1 respectively at 4 wt%, the highest reported to date. A completely circular upcycling approach to plastic waste was demonstrated through the production of several renewable poly(ester-amide)s (PEAs), based on a terephthalamide monomer derived from bottle-grade poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), which exhibited excellent thermal properties.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere202200255
JournalChemSusChem
Volume15
Issue number8
Early online date3 Feb 2022
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 22 Apr 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
We wish to thank the EPSRC for funding and the University of Bath and MC for use of their analysis facilities. We would like to thank the EPSRC for funding (EP/L016354/1) for a PhD studentship to J.P and EP/R027129/1 for MK and MGD. 2

Keywords

  • chemical upcycling
  • green chemistry
  • homogeneous catalysis
  • polycarbonates
  • polyesters

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Environmental Chemistry
  • General Chemical Engineering
  • General Materials Science
  • General Energy

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