Sustainable chemical upcycling of waste polyolefins by heterogeneous catalysis
Mingyu Chu,
Weilin Tu,
Shuangqiao Yang,
Congyang Zhang,
Qingye Li,
Qiao Zhang,
Jinxing Chen
Affiliations
Mingyu Chu
Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM) Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon‐Based Functional Materials & Devices Soochow University Suzhou P. R. China
Weilin Tu
Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM) Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon‐Based Functional Materials & Devices Soochow University Suzhou P. R. China
Shuangqiao Yang
State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering Polymer Research Institute of Sichuan University Chengdu P. R. China
Congyang Zhang
Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM) Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon‐Based Functional Materials & Devices Soochow University Suzhou P. R. China
Qingye Li
College of Food Science Sichuan Agricultural University Ya'an P. R. China
Qiao Zhang
Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM) Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon‐Based Functional Materials & Devices Soochow University Suzhou P. R. China
Jinxing Chen
Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM) Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon‐Based Functional Materials & Devices Soochow University Suzhou P. R. China
Abstract The mass production of disposable polyolefin products has led to serious plastic pollution and an imbalance between manufacturing and recycling. Given these challenges, the chemical upcycling of waste polyolefins has attracted extensive attention due to its high efficiency and economic benefits. Herein, we review the development of polyolefin chemical upcycling in heterogeneous catalysis. The status quo of polyolefin recycling is first discussed. We then introduce the advanced strategies for chemical upcycling in the view of different value‐added products and discuss their challenges and prospects. Our in‐depth analysis centers on the catalytic mechanism and the design principle of heterogeneous catalysts. Finally, we outlook the promising directions to facilitate the degradation process via polymer and catalyst design and optimized catalytic engineering. Innovative strategies are expected to promote the chemical upcycling of polyolefins, bringing great promise for the sustainable development of society.
