Papers

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Article Tier 2

Recent Advances in the Chemobiological Upcycling of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) into Value-Added Chemicals

This review covers recent advances in biological and chemical upcycling of PET plastic waste into value-added chemicals, examining degradation pathways including pyrolysis, gasification, and enzymatic depolymerization that break PET into monomers for use as bioconversion substrates.

2022 Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology 39 citations
Review Tier 2

A focused review on recycling and hydrolysis techniques of polyethylene terephthalate

This review examines techniques for recycling polyethylene terephthalate (PET), one of the most common plastics found as microplastic pollution. Chemical recycling through hydrolysis shows the most promise for breaking PET back into its original building blocks for reuse. Improving PET recycling is important because reducing plastic waste at the source is one of the most effective ways to decrease microplastic contamination in the environment.

2023 Polymer Engineering and Science 154 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparsion of Catalyst Effectiveness in Different Chemical Depolymerization Methods of Poly(ethylene terephthalate)

This review compares the effectiveness of different catalysts used in chemical recycling methods for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic. The study covers hydrolysis, methanolysis, glycolysis, and other depolymerization approaches, comparing key process parameters like temperature, reaction time, and yields to help identify the most efficient PET recycling strategies.

2023 Molecules 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Process parameter optimization for waste polyethylene terephthalate bottle depolymerization using neutral hydrolysis

Researchers optimized process parameters for the neutral hydrolysis depolymerization of waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles as a chemical recycling strategy to address growing plastic waste accumulation in landfills. The study identified key conditions that improve depolymerization efficiency, offering a pathway to recover high-quality monomers from post-consumer PET.

2024 Research Square (Research Square) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Upcycling of waste plastics: strategies, status-quo, and prospects

This review examines strategies for upcycling waste plastics into valuable products as an alternative to landfilling and incineration, which generate microplastics and carbon emissions respectively. Researchers survey chemical recycling methods including pyrolysis, gasification, and catalytic processes that can convert common plastics like PET, polyethylene, and polystyrene into fuels, chemicals, and new materials. The study highlights the urgent need for more effective recycling technologies to address the growing gap between plastic production and waste management capacity.

2024 Chinese Science Bulletin (Chinese Version) 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Strategic Possibility Routes of Recycled PET

This review examined chemical and mechanical recycling technologies for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste, comparing glycolysis, methanolysis, hydrolysis, and enzymatic depolymerization routes in terms of yield, product purity, and scalability, and highlighting pathways most suitable for circular economy applications.

2021 Polymers 207 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent advances in catalytic hydrogenolysis of polyester

This review summarises a decade of research into chemically recycling polyester plastic waste (especially PET) by breaking its polymer chains using hydrogen gas — a process called hydrogenolysis — to recover valuable chemical building blocks. Different catalysts allow scientists to target different chemical bonds in PET, yielding products like aromatic hydrocarbons, glycols, or terephthalic acid under varying conditions. Developing efficient chemical recycling pathways is directly relevant to reducing plastic waste and the microplastic pollution that results from improperly disposed plastics.

2025 Chinese Science Bulletin (Chinese Version) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Valorisation of plastic waste via metal-catalysed depolymerisation

This review covers metal-catalysed depolymerisation approaches for recycling and upcycling waste plastics back into monomers or value-added chemicals, highlighting recent advances in catalyst design that improve selectivity and yield for common polymer types.

2021 Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry 57 citations
Article Tier 2

Application of Different Chemical Recycling for Plastics

This review examines chemical recycling methods for plastic waste as alternatives to mechanical recycling, focusing on depolymerization via solvolysis, pyrolysis, and purification processes applicable to PET, polyurethane, and polystyrene. The authors discuss how these approaches convert polymer waste back into feedstock monomers that can be repolymerized, addressing value degradation and sorting limitations inherent to mechanical recycling.

2022 Highlights in Science Engineering and Technology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Optimization of Pressurized Alkaline Hydrolysis for Chemical Recycling of Post-Consumer PET Waste

This study optimized pressurized alkaline hydrolysis conditions for chemically recycling post-consumer PET waste into its constituent monomers, demonstrating a pathway to improve the efficiency of PET depolymerization.

2024 Materials 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent advances in screening and identification of PET-degrading enzymes

Researchers reviewed recent advances in discovering and engineering enzymes capable of breaking down PET plastic, one of the most widely produced and persistent plastic types. They examined screening methods including metagenomic mining and machine learning approaches that have accelerated the identification of promising PET-degrading enzymes. The study suggests that enzymatic recycling could become a viable, environmentally friendly alternative to traditional PET disposal methods.

2024 Environmental Reviews 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhanced Methanolysis of Waste PET for Sustainable Production of Dimethyl Terephthalate and Cyclic Arylboronic Esters

Researchers developed a method using boric acid to improve the chemical recycling of waste PET plastic via methanolysis, producing high-purity monomers that can be used in new plastic production. More efficient PET recycling reduces the amount of plastic waste that breaks down into microplastics in the environment.

2023 Research Square (Research Square)
Article Tier 2

Strategies for Electrochemical Recycling of Plastic Polyethylene Terephthalate‐Derived Ethylene Glycol Into High‐Value Chemicals

This paper reviews new methods for recycling PET plastic waste, the most common plastic in bottles and packaging, using electricity from renewable sources. By converting PET-derived chemicals into high-value products through electrocatalysis, this approach could help reduce both plastic pollution and microplastic contamination in the environment.

2025 Advanced Energy Materials 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Microbial enzymes for the recycling of recalcitrant petroleum‐based plastics: how far are we?

This review examines the progress in identifying microbial enzymes capable of breaking down petroleum-based plastics like polyethylene, polystyrene, polyurethane, and PET. Researchers highlight recent advances in using polyester-degrading enzymes to recover raw materials from PET waste through biocatalytic recycling. The study discusses the potential and remaining challenges of using biological approaches to address the growing global problem of plastic waste accumulation.

2017 Microbial Biotechnology 788 citations
Article Tier 2

Development of Enzyme-Based Approaches for Recycling PET on an Industrial Scale

This paper reviews the development of enzyme-based methods for breaking down PET plastic (used in bottles and packaging) at an industrial scale. While enzymatic recycling is a promising solution to plastic waste, current methods are still too slow and costly for widespread use. Improving these technologies could help reduce the enormous amount of PET entering the environment and breaking down into microplastics.

2024 Biochemistry 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Zinc Catalysts: Unlocking the Sustainable Transformation of Post-Consumer PET Waste through Chemical Recycling

This review examines zinc-catalyzed depolymerization of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as a sustainable approach to post-consumer plastic waste chemical recycling, covering methods including glycolysis, aminolysis, hydrolysis, and alcoholysis. The review highlights the role of zinc catalysts in enabling simpler, more adaptable depolymerization processes for PET reclamation.

2023 Asian Journal of Chemistry 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Current knowledge on enzymatic PET degradation and its possible application to waste stream management and other fields

This review distinguished between enzymatic PET surface modification (useful for fiber treatment) and enzymatic PET degradation (needed for waste management), cataloguing the hydrolases capable of each function and the conditions required. The authors evaluate the prospects for deploying PET-degrading enzymes in industrial plastic waste streams.

2019 Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 576 citations
Article Tier 2

An Overview of the Non-Energetic Valorization Possibilities of Plastic Waste via Thermochemical Processes

This review surveys non-energetic valorization options for plastic waste through chemical recycling, covering solvolysis, enzymatic depolymerization, and catalytic cracking pathways that recover monomers or chemical feedstocks. The authors compare process maturity and economic viability, identifying PET and nylon depolymerization as the most commercially advanced chemical recycling routes.

2024 Materials 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Enzymatic Remediation of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)–Based Polymers for Effective Management of Plastic Wastes: An Overview

Enzymatic approaches for remediating PET-based plastic waste were reviewed, covering PETase and related enzymes that can break PET into reusable monomers. Enzyme engineering strategies to improve thermostability and catalytic efficiency are discussed as a pathway to scalable biological PET recycling.

2020 Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology 193 citations
Article Tier 2

Current Advances and Challenges in Chemical Recycling of Polymeric Materials

This review examines current advances and remaining challenges in chemical recycling of polymeric materials as an alternative to mechanical recycling, which degrades material properties with repeated cycling. The authors discuss the high efficiency and simpler preprocessing requirements of chemical recycling methods against a backdrop of approximately 150 million metric tonnes of annual global plastic waste generation.

2023 Preprints.org 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Catalytic Amounts of an Antibacterial Monomer Enable the Upcycling of Poly(Ethylene Terephthalate) Waste

Scientists developed a new method to recycle PET plastic waste (commonly used in bottles) into high-value antibacterial material using only small amounts of a special monomer. This approach addresses both plastic pollution and the need for antimicrobial materials, while avoiding the biotoxicity problems of traditional metal-based antibacterial agents. The technique represents a promising way to upcycle plastic waste rather than simply discarding it.

2023 Advanced Materials 54 citations
Article Tier 2

Chemical Recyclingof Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)Driven by the Use of Protic Ionic Liquids: A Strategy to MitigateMicroplastic Pollution

Researchers developed a chemical recycling process for polyethylene terephthalate plastic using protic ionic liquids as green solvents, enabling depolymerization under milder conditions than conventional methods. The approach achieved high PET conversion rates and yielded recyclable monomers, offering a more sustainable alternative for addressing PET waste and associated microplastic pollution.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Sustainable Management of Microplastic Pollutions from PET Bottles: Overview and Mitigation Strategies

Researchers reviewed the environmental impact of PET bottle degradation and strategies for managing the resulting microplastic pollution. The study highlights that PET bottle usage continues to grow, and its breakdown releases low-molecular-weight compounds and microplastics, while outlining mitigation approaches including improved recycling and waste management practices.

2025 Applied Sciences 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent Progress in Polyolefin Plastic: Polyethylene and Polypropylene Transformation and Depolymerization Techniques

This review covers new methods for breaking down polyethylene and polypropylene, the two most common types of plastic, into reusable materials. Since mechanical recycling only handles a small fraction of plastic waste, chemical approaches like pyrolysis and hydrogenolysis offer more promising solutions. These techniques are important because the breakdown of these same plastics into microplastics is a major source of environmental and health contamination.

2024 Molecules 10 citations