In the field of plastic waste recycling, traditional methods have primarily relied on high-temperature pyrolysis, which consumes a significant amount of energy.

Recently, in a piece of work, Professor Jinxing Chen from Suzhou University and his team have utilized a method of chemical hydrogenolysis to transform plastics into high-value natural gas and liquid fuels.

In the research, the team conducted a survey on the current state of polyolefin, the plastic waste with the largest global production, to identify the potential of chemical hydrogenolysis and the challenges in this process.

Initially, when Professor Chen Jinxing and student Hu Ping designed this project, they aimed to design it based on the regulation of the valence state of key catalytic metals.

Then, through experiments and theoretical calculations, they screened a series of potential catalysts and conducted surface modification experiments.In this process, they themselves were committed to modifying the interactions between metals, and found that the catalytic performance was exceptionally good.

However, later it was discovered that the data patterns were not as expected, at which point they realized that there was a larger scientific issue at hand, which is often an important juncture for scientific research to discover new theories.

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Facing this unconventional field, which had not been explored by scholars before, two senior students of the team also joined the project at this time.

Through a large number of experiments, they found that simply using the solvent during modification as a ligand could dramatically increase the catalyst activity.

After that, they went through a characterization process that lasted more than half a year, to verify and construct this phenomenon and preliminary theory.At the same time, they continued to explore and constantly optimize the selection of ligands and the preparation methods of catalysts. Ultimately, they successfully developed this highly efficient catalyst and constructed this new theory.

Among them, the key issue is the design of high-efficiency catalysts to improve the conversion efficiency. The academic community has recognized through past research that zero-valent ruthenium has high catalytic activity in the hydrogenation of polyolefins. However, there is still controversy over whether zero-valent ruthenium is the best choice.

In this study, the team constructed a stable Ru0-Ruδ+ composite catalytic site by surface ligand engineering of commercial Ru/C catalysts, which can remain stable even under reaction conditions.

Through simple catalyst modification, polyolefin hydrogenation can be achieved efficiently at lower temperatures. Therefore, this work not only fills the technical gap in the field but also provides a more feasible and sustainable solution for the recycling of plastic waste.

Finally, the related paper was published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society[1] with the title "Stable Interfacial Ruthenium Species for Highly Efficient Polyolefin Upcycling".Hu Ping is the first author, and Chen Jinxing and Academician Chi Lifeng from Soochow University serve as co-corresponding authors [1].

The newly proposed catalyst design theory has also received high praise from several reviewers.

They unanimously believe that this work is of great significance in the field of plastic recycling, achieving a significant enhancement of catalyst activity through simple surface modification.

It provides an efficient and sustainable solution for plastic waste recycling, which will have a profound impact on the development of future plastic recycling technologies.

Under the backdrop of carbon neutrality, the results of this study have important application prospects, and can provide new ways and solutions for the realization of carbon neutrality and sustainable development goals.Firstly, the application of modified catalysts in the recycling of plastic waste will help reduce the environmental pollution caused by plastic waste and convert discarded plastics into valuable liquid fuels and natural gas, thereby reducing dependence on traditional petroleum resources.

Secondly, for the construction of this new metal species in the catalyst itself, plastic degradation is just one of the application scenarios.

In the follow-up, firstly, they plan to further optimize the design and preparation methods of the modified catalyst to improve its catalytic efficiency and stability in the recycling and energy conversion of plastic waste.

By introducing new ligands or adjusting the ligand structure, they will explore more catalyst modification strategies to meet the treatment needs of different types of plastic waste.

Secondly, they will continue to delve into the study of the action mechanism and reaction kinetics of the modified catalyst, exploring its role and influencing factors in the hydrogenolysis reaction of polyolefins.It is anticipated that this will provide a scientific basis and technical support for further optimizing catalyst design and process conditions.

Additionally, they will also engage in cooperation with the industry to transform the results of this research into practical applications, promoting the industrial production and application promotion of modified catalysts.

Through continuous research and practice, they hope to make a greater contribution to the recycling of plastic waste, energy conversion, and the achievement of carbon neutrality goals, promoting sustainable social development.