Dioxomolybdenum complex as an efficient and cheap catalyst for the reductive depolymerization of plastic waste into value-added compounds and fuels

• Published in: Green chemistry : an international journal and green chemistry resource : GC Vol. 22; no. 8; pp. 2419 - 2425
• Main Authors: Nunes, Beatriz F. S, Oliveira, M. Conceição, Fernandes, Ana C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge Royal Society of Chemistry 27.04.2020
• Subjects: Catalysts; Depolymerization; Fuels; Green chemistry; Plastic debris; Polybutylene terephthalates; Propane; Reducing agents; Silanes; Xylene
• ISSN: 1463-9262; 1463-9270
• DOI: 10.1039/c9gc04206g

This work describes the efficient and selective reductive depolymerization of PET, PBT, PCL, PLA and PDO plastic waste into value-added compounds and fuels, including 1,6-hexanediol, xylene and propane, catalyzed by the eco-friendly, cheap and air-stable dioxomolybdenum complex MoO 2 Cl 2 (H 2 O) 2 using silanes as reducing agents. The catalyst MoO 2 Cl 2 (H 2 O) 2 can be used in at least 8 catalytic cycles in the reductive depolymerization of PCL with excellent activity and the catalytic system PMHS/MoO 2 Cl 2 (H 2 O) 2 was successfully applied in the production of propane from the reductive depolymerization of PLA on a gram scale. Moreover, this method was also efficiently applied in the selective reduction of a PCL, PLA and PET mixture. Several types of PCL, PLA, PDO, PET and PBT plastic waste were efficiently converted into value-added compounds and fuels catalyzed by MoO 2 Cl 2 (H 2 O) 2 .