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Research Progress and Prospects on Oxidative Depolymerization and Upcycling of Waste Polystyrene Plastics
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This review systematically examines oxidative depolymerization pathways — photo-oxidation and thermal oxidation — for converting waste polystyrene into valuable chemicals such as benzoic acid, benzene, and phenol, identifying catalytic upcycling as the most promising route for sustainable polystyrene disposal. Polystyrene is among the most environmentally persistent plastics and a significant microplastic source, making chemical upcycling pathways critical for reducing the stock of fragmentation-prone polystyrene waste in the environment.
聚苯乙烯（PS）因生产成本低、加工性能优，广泛应用于包装、餐饮等领域，但因其稳定性强、不可生物降解且多为一次性使用，已成为全球性污染物，同时加剧石油资源危机。传统填埋、焚烧及机械回收存在占地大、二次污染或附加值低等缺陷，难以实现可持续处置。PS分子含大量惰性C-C/C-H键和芳环结构，兼具稳定性与平台分子回收潜力，化学升级回收成为核心解决路径。本文系统综述PS合成特性、分类及化学回收技术进展：重点分析氧化解聚（光氧化、热氧化）和升级再造路径，探讨其反应机理、催化剂体系、反应条件及产物特性。光氧化可温和转化PS为苯甲酸等，热氧化产物选择性和产率更高但条件苛刻，升级再造能转化为苯、苯酚等高价值化学品。最后总结现有技术在反应效率、选择性、环境友好性等方面的不足。本文为废弃PS高效资源化提供技术参考，明确化学升级回收是其绿色处置的关键路径
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Circular economy in polystyrene photodegradation to valuable chemicals.
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Scientists are figuring out how to use light and special catalysts to break down polystyrene, the plastic in foam cups and takeout containers, into useful chemicals instead of letting it pile up in landfills and oceans. This review paper rounds up current research on these recycling methods, which could help cut down on plastic waste that eventually breaks into microplastics polluting our food and water. While this technology is still developing, it points toward a future where plastic trash gets a second life instead of lingering in the environment for decades.
Progress and Challenges in Polystyrene Recycling and Upcycling
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Researchers reviewed the state of polystyrene recycling and chemical upcycling, finding that despite good technical recyclability, low commodity value and contamination challenges suppress recycling rates, while emerging catalytic depolymerization routes could unlock higher-value styrene recovery.
Dynamic Self-Focusing Photothermal Localization Induced Mild Solvent-Free Upcycling of Polystyrene
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Scientists have created a way to turn plastic waste (polystyrene, used in things like disposable cups and packaging) into useful chemicals using just sunlight, no toxic solvents or extra heat required. This matters because polystyrene often breaks down into microplastics that pollute our environment and end up in our bodies, so finding cleaner ways to recycle it could help reduce that exposure over time. While the process isn't perfect yet, converting about 75% of the plastic into valuable chemicals is a promising step toward tackling plastic pollution more sustainably.
Research progress and challenges in the upcycling of polyolefin plastics through chemical oxidation
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This review surveys advances in chemical oxidation strategies for upcycling waste polyolefin plastics—including thermal catalytic, photocatalytic, photo-thermal, and electrocatalytic oxidation—finding that while each approach has converted polyolefins into higher-value oxygenated chemicals under increasingly mild conditions, challenges in catalyst efficiency, product selectivity, and reaction scale-up must be overcome before practical deployment.
A Multi-Measure Analysis: Evaluating the Sustainability of Polystyrene Waste Mitigation Technologies - Towards A Circular Economy: Sustainable Management
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A sustainability analysis of four polystyrene waste valorization pathways — plywood composites, concrete systems, chemical depolymerization, and anti-corrosive coatings — found each viable within a circular economy framework but requiring life-cycle assessment to avoid unintended consequences. Diverting polystyrene from landfills matters for microplastic pollution because weathered PS fragments into persistent nanoplastics that accumulate broadly in aquatic and terrestrial food webs.
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