Selective and Efficient Upcycling of Polyesters from Waste Plastic Blends Enabled by a Rationally Designed Manganese Pincer Catalyst.

Herein, we report a new class of earth-abundant pincer manganese catalysts that not only enable the efficient conversion of single-component post-consumer polyesters with a turnover number (TON) of up to 5300, but more importantly, allow the selective upcycling of polyesters from waste plastic blends (e.g., nylon, PA; polyethylene, PE; polyurethane, PU; polyvinyl chloride, PVC; cotton) or contaminants such as pigment, aluminum, or glass into highly valuable oxygenated products under mild conditions.