From trash to treasure: Vanadium-catalyzed upcycling of non-biodegradable plastics

Managing plastic waste is a challenging and pressing problem. In this issue of Chem, Soo and co-workers valorize commercial plastics and post-consumer plastic waste into isolable products, including formic acid, acetic acid, and benzoic acid, through vanadium-catalyzed tandem C–H oxidation and C–C cleavage photoreactions. Managing plastic waste is a challenging and pressing problem. In this issue of Chem, Soo and co-workers valorize commercial plastics and post-consumer plastic waste into isolable products, including formic acid, acetic acid, and benzoic acid, through vanadium-catalyzed tandem C–H oxidation and C–C cleavage photoreactions. Upcycling of non-biodegradable plastics by base metal photocatalysisLi et al.ChemAugust 14, 2023In BriefOver 90% of globally produced plastics have accumulated as pollutants in the environment because most of them are not biodegradable. Existing methods to recycle plastic waste require heat and generate more greenhouse gas emissions. We present a general method to upcycle most plastics of resin codes 2–7, multilayered packaging, and oil-contaminated packaging into platform chemicals and fuels to improve plastics circularity. The reactions are conducted at ambient conditions and driven by light using an affordable, commercially sourced base metal photocatalyst. Full-Text PDF