Catalytic strategies for upvaluing plastic wastes

Summary

The massive accumulation of plastics in the environment has a severe impact on humanity's living conditions. One possible solution is the recycling and upgrading of plastic waste at the molecular level. In this perspective, we illustrate that polymers can be depolymerized and transformed into high-value chemicals through three strategies: (1) depolymerization into monomers, oligomers, or other derivatives, followed by transformation into high-value chemicals; (2) degradation to small platform molecules (e.g., CO₂, CH₄, formic acid, and methanol) followed by upgradation; and (3) direct transformation into high-value chemicals. New possibilities for the future development of catalytic upcycling strategies using plastic wastes as raw materials have been discussed.