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Polyethylene Terephthalate Deconstruction Catalyzed by a Carbon‐Supported Single‐Site Molybdenum‐Dioxo Complex
Author(s) -
Kratish Yosi,
Li Jiaqi,
Liu Shanfu,
Gao Yanshan,
Marks Tobin J.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
angewandte chemie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1521-3757
pISSN - 0044-8249
DOI - 10.1002/ange.202007423
Subject(s) - terephthalic acid , bottle , polyethylene terephthalate , catalysis , ethylene , depolymerization , hydrogenolysis , chemistry , molybdenum , polyethylene , polymer chemistry , organic chemistry , polypropylene , photochemistry , polyester , materials science , composite material
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is selectively depolymerized by a carbon‐supported single‐site molybdenum‐dioxo catalyst to terephthalic acid (PTA) and ethylene. The solventless reactions are most efficient under 1 atmosphere of H 2 . The catalyst exhibits high stability and can be recycled multiple times without loss of activity. Waste beverage bottle PET or a PET + polypropylene (PP) mixture (simulating the bottle + cap) proceeds at 260 °C with complete PET deconstruction and quantitative PTA isolation. Mechanistic studies with a model diester, 1,2‐ethanediol dibenzoate, suggest the reaction proceeds by initial retro‐hydroalkoxylation/β‐C−O scission and subsequent hydrogenolysis of the vinyl benzoate intermediate.