Valorisation of Plastic Waste via Catalytic Hydrocracking: a Technological Survey.

In this work, we looked at the most recent advances in the field of plastics hydrocracking from a technology standpoint. A patent search was supplemented by a literature review to evaluate the development of the hydrocracking technology for plastics recycling. We observed that the patent and academic literature output rapidly increased over the past decade, highlighting the recent emergence of this technology to tackle the plastic waste problem.

Controlling the selectivity of the hydrogenolysis of polyamides catalysed by ceria-supported metal nanoparticles.

Catalytic hydrogenolysis is a promising approach to transform waste plastic into valuable chemicals. However, the transformation of N-containing polymers, such as polyamides (i.e.

Mechanistic classification and benchmarking of polyolefin depolymerization over silica-alumina-based catalysts.

Carbon-carbon bond cleavage mechanisms play a key role in the selective deconstruction of alkanes and polyolefins. Here, we show that the product distribution, which encompasses carbon range and formation of unsaturated and isomerization products, serves as a distinctive feature that allows the reaction pathways of different catalysts to be classified. Co, Ni, or Ru nanoparticles immobilized on amorphous silica-alumina, Zeo-Y and ZSM-5, were evaluated as catalysts in the deconstruction of n-hexadecane model substrate with hydrogen to delineate between different mechanisms, i.

A Semi-Serendipitous Journey towards the Commercialisation of a Catalytic Hydrocracking Process for Polymer Waste.

This Personal Account reviews the sequence of scientific discoveries that led to a catalytic plastic conversion technology that resulted in the creation of a spin-off company called Plastogaz from the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (Switzerland). The story begins with research on the catalytic valorization of CO , carried out by two PhD students and a master student, and the connections and steps subsequently made, ultimately leading to a plastic transformation technology. The Personal Account highlights the value of diverse research topics within a research group, the benefits of connections between chemistry and chemical engineering, that can lead to interesting synergies and atypical breakthroughs.

Indirect CO Methanation: Hydrogenolysis of Cyclic Carbonates Catalyzed by Ru-Modified Zeolite Produces Methane and Diols.

We report a ruthenium-modified zeolite which efficiently transforms propylene carbonate to propylene glycol and methane, under solvent-free conditions. The catalyst achieved high product selectivity and no significant ageing effect was observed after multiple cycles. The resulting liquid product (water-containing glycol) can be directly used as anti-freeze solution and the gas phase can directly be used as an energy carrier in the form of H -enriched methane.

Alkene-assisted nickel-catalyzed regioselective 1,4-addition of organoboronic acid to dienones: a direct route to all-carbon quaternary centers.

A nickel-catalyzed highly regioselective 1,4-addition reaction of boronic acids to dienones to form products with an all-carbon quaternary center is described. The 3-alkenyl group of dienones is the key for the reaction to proceed smoothly. A mechanism involving the coordination of the dienyl group to the nickel center is proposed.