Solubilization and Upgrading of High Polyethylene Terephthalate Loadings in a Low‐Costing Bifunctional Ionic Liquid
- Deconstruction Division Joint BioEnergy Institute 5885 Hollis Street Emeryville 94608 CA USA, Biological and Engineering Sciences Center Sandia National Laboratories, 7011 East Avenue Livermore 94551 CA USA
- Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory Pacific Northwest National Laboratory 902 Battelle Boulevard Richland 99352 WA USA
- Advanced Light Source Scientific Support Group Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory 1 Cyclotron Road Berkeley 94720 CA USA
- Deconstruction Division Joint BioEnergy Institute 5885 Hollis Street Emeryville 94608 CA USA, Biological Systems and Engineering Division Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory 1 Cyclotron Road Berkeley 94720 CA USA
- Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory Pacific Northwest National Laboratory 902 Battelle Boulevard Richland 99352 WA USA, Biological Sciences Division Pacific Northwest National Laboratory 902 Battelle Boulevard Richland 99352 WA USA
Abstract The solubilization and efficient upgrading of high loadings of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are important challenges, and most solvents for PET are highly toxic. Herein, a low‐cost (ca. $1.2 kg −1 ) and biocompatible ionic liquid (IL), cholinium phosphate ([Ch] 3 [PO 4 ]), is demonstrated for the first time to play bifunctional roles in the solubilization and glycolytic degradation of PET. A high loading of PET (10 wt %) was readily dissolved in [Ch] 3 [PO 4 ] at relatively low temperatures (120 °C, 3 h) and under water‐rich conditions. In‐depth analysis of the solution revealed that high PET solubilization in [Ch] 3 [PO 4 ] could be ascribed to significant PET depolymerization. Acid precipitation yielded terephthalic acid as the dominant depolymerized monomer with a theoretical yield of approximately 95 %. Further exploration showed that in the presence of ethylene glycol (EG), the [Ch] 3 [PO 4 ]‐catalyzed glycolysis of PET could efficiently occur with approximately 100 % conversion of PET and approximately 60.6 % yield of bis(2‐hydroxyethyl)terephthalate under metal‐free conditions. The IL could be reused at least three times without an apparent decrease in activity. NMR spectroscopy analysis revealed that strong hydrogen‐bonding interactions between EG and the IL played an important role in the activation of EG and promotion of the glycolysis reaction. This study opens up avenues for exploring environmentally benign and efficient IL technology for solubilizing and recycling postconsumer polyester plastics.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC02-05CH11231
- OSTI ID:
- 1422419
- Journal Information:
- ChemSusChem, Journal Name: ChemSusChem Vol. 11 Journal Issue: 4; ISSN 1864-5631
- Publisher:
- Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)Copyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- Germany
- Language:
- English
Web of Science
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