A unique catalyst paves the way for plastic upcycling changing the size of the monomers

Ames Laboratory scientists developed improved inorganic catalysts to deconstruct polyolefin plastics into molecules that can be used to create more valuable products.  The catalyst consists of platinum particles supported on a solid silica core and surrounded by a silica shell with uniform pores that provide access to catalytic sites. During catalysis, a polymer chain enters a pore and contacts a Pt NP where the C–C bond cleavage occurs and then the smaller fragment exits the pore. The new research suggests  a framework for new catalyst design by separating the C–C bond cleavage activity at catalytic sites from selectivity for chain lengths of the products influenced by the structure of the catalytic architecture.

Xun Wu et al.; Size-Controlled Nanoparticles Embedded in a Mesoporous Architecture Leading to Efficient and Selective Hydrogenolysis of Polyolefins; J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2022