Catalytic Degradation of Polyethylene Terephthalate Using a Phase-Transitional Zirconium-Based Metal–Organic Framework

Wu, Yufang; Wang, Xingjie; Kirlikovali, Kent O.; Gong, Xinyi; Atilgan, Ahmet; Ma, Kaikai; Schweitzer, Neil M.; Gianneschi, Nathan C.; Li, Zhong; Zhang, Xuan; Farha, Omar K.

doi:10.1002/anie.202117528

Title: Catalytic Degradation of Polyethylene Terephthalate Using a Phase-Transitional Zirconium-Based Metal–Organic Framework

Journal Article · 30 March 2022 · Angewandte Chemie (International Edition)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202117528 · OSTI ID:1976279

Wu, Yufang ^[1]; Wang, Xingjie ^[2]; Kirlikovali, Kent O. ^[2]; Gong, Xinyi ^[2]; Atilgan, Ahmet ^[2]; Ma, Kaikai ^[2]; Schweitzer, Neil M. ^[2]; Gianneschi, Nathan C. ^[2]; Li, Zhong ^[3]; Zhang, Xuan ^[2];

^[2]

South China University of Technology (SCUT), Guangzhou (China); Northwestern University, Evanston, IL (United States)
Northwestern University, Evanston, IL (United States)
South China University of Technology (SCUT), Guangzhou (China)

Abstract Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is utilized as one of the most popular consumer plastics worldwide, but difficulties associated with recycling PET have generated a severe environmental crisis with most PET ending its lifecycle in landfills. We report that zirconium‐based metal–organic framework (Zr‐MOF) UiO‐66 deconstructs waste PET into the building blocks terephthalic acid (TA) and mono‐methyl terephthalate (MMT) within 24 hours at 260 °C (total yield of 98 % under 1 atm H ₂ and 81 % under 1 atm Ar). Extensive structural characterization studies reveal that during the degradation process, UiO‐66 undergoes an intriguing transformation into MIL‐140A, which is another Zr‐MOF that shows good catalytic activity toward PET degradation under similar reaction conditions. These results illustrate the diversity of applications for Zr‐MOFs and establish MOFs as a new class of polymer degradation catalysts with the potential to address long‐standing challenges associated with plastic waste.

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Research Organization:: Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL (United States); Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); National Science Foundation (NSF); Ryan Fellowship; Northwestern University International Institute for Nanotechnology; Oversea Study Program of Guangzhou Elite Project; USDOE

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0001329; SC0012702; DMR-1720139; JY201901; ECCS-2025633; DE-SC0001329

OSTI ID:: 1976279

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1864087

Journal Information:: Angewandte Chemie (International Edition), Vol. 61, Issue 24; ISSN 1433-7851

Publisher:: WileyCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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