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Updated: Dec 13, 2025

Temperature-programmed Deoxygenation of Acetic Acid on Molybdenum Carbide Catalysts
Published on: February 7, 2017
Polyethylene Terephthalate Deconstruction Catalyzed by a Carbon-Supported Single-Site Molybdenum-Dioxo Complex
Yosi Kratish1, Jiaqi Li1, Shanfu Liu1
1Department of Chemistry and the Institute for Catalysis in Energy Processes (ICEP), Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL, 60208-3113, USA.
Abstract:
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is selectively depolymerized by a carbon-supported single-site molybdenum-dioxo catalyst to terephthalic acid (PTA) and ethylene. The solventless reactions are most efficient under 1 atmosphere of H2 . The catalyst exhibits high stability and can be recycled multiple times without loss of activity. Waste beverage bottle PET or a PET + polypropylene (PP) mixture (simulating the bottle + cap) proceeds at 260 °C with complete PET deconstruction and quantitative PTA isolation. Mechanistic studies with a model diester, 1,2-ethanediol dibenzoate, suggest the reaction proceeds by initial retro-hydroalkoxylation/β-C-O scission and subsequent hydrogenolysis of the vinyl benzoate intermediate.
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