Direct Synthesis of a Jet Fuel Range Dicycloalkane from Polycarbonate Waste at a High Concentration

Upcycling plastics into alkane fuel is a popular strategy, which is consistent with green chemistry and the concept of carbon neutrality. In this study, we converted polycarbonate (PC), one of the five major engineering plastics, to a jet fuel range C15 dicycloalkane at an msub% of 20%. The combination of Pd/C and La(OTf)3 exhibited the best performance among the investigated catalyst systems. At 140 °C, 2,2-dicyclohexylpropane (1a) was obtained with a yield of 95% in acetic acid with 6 MPa H2 from pure PC powder. Besides, 1a could be separated easily by liquid separation. There was no obvious Pd/C deactivation in the three repeating cycles. Besides, AcOH and La(OTf)3 could be reused for eight cycles with little deactivation. Furthermore, the yield of 1a reached 98% under the same reaction conditions as those from chopped DVDs (a representative of real waste). As 1a is of high energy density, it could be a substitute or an additive for frequently used high-density fuels.