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Making Persistent Plastics Degradable
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This perspective outlines catalytic strategies to convert persistent polyethylene waste into propylene, which can then serve as a feedstock for biodegradable or on-demand degradable polymers — offering a path from recalcitrant fossil-plastic waste toward circular, sustainable materials.
The vastness of the scale of the plastic waste problem will require a variety of strategies and technologies to move toward sustainable and circular materials. One of these strategies to address the challenge of persistent fossil-based plastics is new catalytic processes that are being developed to convert recalcitrant waste such as polyethylene to produce propylene, which can be an important precursor of high-performance polymers that can be designed to biodegrade or to degrade on demand. Remarkably, this process also enables the production of biodegradable polymers using renewable raw materials. In this Perspective, current catalyst systems and strategies that enable the catalytic degradation of polyethylene to propylene are presented. In addition, concepts for using "green" propylene as a raw material to produce compostable polymers is also discussed.
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Advanced Catalytic Strategies for Plastic Depolymerization: Mechanistic Insights, Catalyst Engineering, and Sustainable Upcycling Pathways
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Researchers reviewed catalytic approaches to breaking down plastic waste — including homogeneous, heterogeneous, biocatalytic, photocatalytic, and plasma-assisted methods — cataloguing the mechanistic pathways, catalyst design strategies, and emerging technologies needed to convert polyethylene, polystyrene, PET, and polypropylene into reusable monomers and fuels.
Recent developments in microbial degradation of polypropylene: Integrated approaches towards a sustainable environment
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This review covers recent advances in microbial degradation of polypropylene, summarizing bacterial strains, enzyme systems, and environmental conditions that facilitate breakdown of this highly persistent polymer. The authors discuss integrated biotechnological approaches combining physical pretreatment with microbial activity as a pathway toward more effective polypropylene biodegradation.
Chemical Recycling of Polyethylene Terephthalate: A Review
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This review surveys advances in chemical recycling of polyethylene terephthalate (PET)—including glycolysis, hydrolysis, enzymatic depolymerization, and tandem catalysis—as strategies to recover monomers and close the plastic carbon loop. Since PET is a major source of microplastic pollution through bottle and textile degradation, effective chemical recycling pathways are critical for reducing its long-term environmental persistence.
Catalysis for the Upcycling of Polymers
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This review surveys catalytic strategies — including heterogeneous, biocatalytic, and electrochemical approaches — for breaking down waste plastics into high-value chemicals and raw materials, presenting an overview of how these upcycling technologies address the growing challenge of plastic waste disposal and resource recovery.
How to Build a Microplastics-Free Environment: Strategies for Microplastics Degradation and Plastics Recycling
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Researchers evaluated the sorption behavior of microplastics under freeze-thaw cycling conditions relevant to temperate and polar environments, finding that repeated freeze-thaw events modified particle surface chemistry and sorption capacity. These physical weathering processes altered contaminant-plastic interactions in ways that have implications for microplastic fate in seasonally frozen environments.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.