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Recycling Waste Plastics from Urban Landscapes to Porous Carbon for Clean Energy Storage
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Waste polypropylene plastic was converted into carbon nanosheets and loaded with palladium nanoparticles, achieving a hydrogen storage capacity of 0.43 wt% at room temperature — demonstrating a viable pathway for transforming plastic waste into functional energy storage materials. This approach addresses both the plastic waste crisis and clean energy storage needs, with implications for reducing plastic accumulation in the environment.
With the rapid increase in plastic consumption worldwide, the resulting plastic waste has had a significant negative impact on the environment. Converting waste plastics into carbon nanosheets (CNSs) has emerged as one of the most promising methods for both waste management and the synthesis of high-performance carbon materials. The incorporation of palladium (Pd) nanoparticles onto CNSs can notably enhance their hydrogen storage capacity. To address the environmental pressures posed by waste plastic, we propose a strategy for synthesizing CNSs from waste polypropylene (PP). Hydrogen uptake Meas. at room temperature show that Pd-supported CNSs exhibit the highest hydrogen adsorption capacity of 0.43 wt% at 298 K and 41 bar. These findings confirm the critical influence of Pd content, particle size, and carbon structure on hydrogen storage performance under varying pressures. This study provides a new pathway for the valuable reutilization of waste plastics through functional energy conversion. This strategy not only aims to reduce plastic pollution but also creates a sustainable method for green energy storage.
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