Potassium Carbonate as a Low-Cost and Highly Active Solid Base Catalyst for Low-Temperature Methanolysis of Polycarbonate.

As the demand for polycarbonate (PC) plastic increases over the years, the development of a chemical recycling system to produce virgin-like-quality monomers is indispensable not only to attain completely sustainable cycles but also to contribute to the decrease in global plastic pollution. Herein, potassium carbonate (KCO) was used as a low-cost, readily available, and highly active solid base catalyst for low-temperature PC methanolysis in the presence of THF as a solvent, producing highly pure and crystalline bisphenol A (BPA) and with a catalytic performance higher than group IIA metal oxides (MgO, CaO, and SrO) and some group IA metal carbonates (NaHCO, KHCO, and NaCO). THF was the best solvent in aiding the reaction owing to it having a similar polar parameter (δ) to that of PC according to Hansen solubility parameters.

Porphyrin-Grafted Poly(ethylene terephthalate) as a Reusable and Highly Selective Colorimetric Probe for Mercuric Ion Contaminants in Aqueous Samples.

Heavy metals are the most hazardous water pollutants, with severe health and environmental consequences. Among these, mercuric (Hg) ions are known to cause detrimental health issues in both humans and aquatic life. Due to this, several analytical techniques have been devised to detect and quantify the amount of this ion.