Current methods of recycling plastic waste can only do so much, as some kinds of plastic are difficult or impossible to recycle. Many researchers are still trying to develop innovative methods to tackle the problem.
However, upcycling plastics may be the answer, at least according to a paper published in Nature Communications.
The most common plastics, including polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, and polyethylene, all contain carbon, making plastics promising for upcycling into carbonaceous materials, such as graphene. The issue holding back the large-scale application of this upcycling method is the mass loss that occurs when small molecules decomposed from polymer degradation are vaporized.
Now, though, researchers from the University of Adelaide believe they have found a solution to this problem, which would enable the universal scaling of a method to turn plastics into carbon nanomaterials that could then help solve other environmental challenges.
The team demonstrated a method of upcycling plastics into single-atom catalysts, consisting of metal atoms isolated and anchored in a graphene substrate, but before that, they explored the atomic-scale structure of these catalysts.
Utilizing ANSTO's Australian Synchrotron, the research team investigated the atomic-scale structure with the help of X-ray absorption spectroscopy. By doing this, they found that the metals in the single-atom catalysts were distributed as single atoms rather than breaking down into nanoparticles, making the catalysts optimal for addressing additional environmental challenges.
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Single-atom catalysts created from plastic waste are remarkably effective at breaking down micropollutants in water and in helping to advance clean-energy technologies, such as fuel cells and batteries. In this way, plastic waste can be transformed into a useful element for curbing overall pollution, leading to a cooler planet and healthier communities.
AZO Materials reported that the study's co-author and senior scientist, Dr. Bernt Johannessen, explained, "This project highlights how advanced characterization at the Synchrotron enables breakthroughs in sustainability. … The XAS technique is a uniquely powerful tool in studies like these, because it can clearly distinguish between nanoparticles and truly single-atom sites, and we are seeing a surge in demand from researchers worldwide working in this area."
After determining that the single-atom catalysts derived from plastic waste were valuable, the research team then developed a universal method that could be scaled to upcycle plastics into them.
To do this, researchers employed metal chloride salts as structure templates and graphitization catalysts during the transformation of plastics to ensure no mass loss occurred and utilized an ammonia gaseous environment for spontaneous nitrogen doping.
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Definitely 👍 They then took the newly created single-atom catalysts and demonstrated their improved performance for degrading pollutants in water and reducing nitrogen in Li-S batteries.
Despite the study's success, though, it's unclear when, or if, the recycling industry will adopt this method of upcycling plastics.
However, these developments are still good news. As AZO Materials reported, Dr. Johannessen said, "Our collaboration shows how synchrotron science can accelerate innovation in environmental and energy technologies."
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