Molecular oxygen-assisted in defect-rich ZnO for catalytic depolymerization of polyethylene terephthalate
Jingjing Cao,
Yuheng Lin,
Tianpeng Zhou,
Wei Wang,
Quanxing Zhang,
Bingcai Pan,
Wei Jiang
Affiliations
Jingjing Cao
State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, National Engineering Research Center for Organic Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
Yuheng Lin
State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, National Engineering Research Center for Organic Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
Tianpeng Zhou
State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, National Engineering Research Center for Organic Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
Wei Wang
Department of Chemistry and Centre for Pharmacy, University of Bergen, 5007 Bergen, Norway
Quanxing Zhang
State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, National Engineering Research Center for Organic Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
Bingcai Pan
State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, National Engineering Research Center for Organic Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; Corresponding author
Wei Jiang
State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, National Engineering Research Center for Organic Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; Corresponding author
Summary: Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is the most produced polyester plastic; its waste has a disruptive impact on the environment and ecosystem. Here, we report a catalytic depolymerization of PET into bis(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (BHET) using molecule oxygen (O2)−assisted in defect-rich ZnO. At air, the PET conversion rate, the BHET yield, and the space-time yield are 3.5, 10.6, and 10.6 times higher than those in nitrogen, respectively. Combining structural characterization with the results of DFT calculations, we conclude that the (100) facet of defect-rich ZnO nanosheets conducive to the formation of reactive oxygen species (∗O2−) and Zn defect, promotes the PET breakage of the ester bond and thus complete the depolymerization processed. This approach demonstrates a sustainable route for PET depolymerization by molecule-assisted defect engineering.
