Abstract
A new platinum catalyst converts polypropylene plastic into valuable liquid hydrocarbons, primarily motor oil ( ChemSusChem 2021, DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202101999 ). Supported on carbon, platinum nanoparticles catalyze the degradation of the polymer, but the new surface is engineered to stop breaking the chains at a target size. “We control the adsorption energy [at the catalyst surface] to detach hydrocarbons after they reach a certain length,” says Antonio J. Martín , coauthor of the study. Polypropylene represents 30% of all plastic waste. So far, efforts to recycle polypropylene have been limited to mechanical processes, in which the plastic is ground and melted into new products, but this approach results in lower-quality material with every cycle. Researchers would like to find chemical recycling approaches that avoid this problem, but that has been a challenge with polypropylene. “This polymer has a very homogeneous chain, thousands of carbon atoms long,” lead author Javier Pérez-Ramírez explains.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
