Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 15, 2025

Hydrogen Production and Utilization in a Membrane Reactor
Published on: March 10, 2023
H2 -free Plastic Conversion: Converting PET back to BTX by Unlocking Hidden Hydrogen
Shenglu Lu1, Yaxuan Jing1, Bo Feng1
1Shanghai Key Laboratory of Functional Materials Chemistry and Research, Research Institute of Industrial Catalysis, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, No. 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, P.R. China.
Abstract:
The strong desire for a circular economy makes obtaining fuels and chemicals via plastic degradation an important research topic in the 21st century. Here, the first example of the H2 -free polyethylene terephthalate (PET) conversion to BTX (benzene, toluene and xylene) was achieved by unlocking hidden hydrogen in the ethylene glycol part over Ru/Nb2 O5 catalyst. Among the whole process (hydrolysis, reforming and hydrogenolysis/decarboxylation), the parallel hydrogenolysis and decarboxylation were competing and the rate-determining step. Ru/Nb2 O5 exhibited superior hydrogenolysis and poorer decarboxylation performance in direct comparison with Ru/NiAl2 O4 , accordingly contributing to the distinct selectivity to alkyl aromatics among BTX. Ru species on Nb2 O5 , unlike those on NiAl2 O4 , showed more Ruδ+ species owing to the strong interaction between Ru and Nb2 O5 , restricting the undesired decarboxylation. Along with NbOx species for C-O bond activation, excellent reactivity towards the H2 -free conversion of PET back to BTX with alkyl aromatics as dominant species was achieved. This H2 -free system was also capable of converting common real PET plastics back to BTX, adding new options in the circular economy of PET.
More Related Videos
11:28Biomass Conversion to Produce Hydrocarbon Liquid Fuel Via Hot-vapor Filtered Fast Pyrolysis and Catalytic Hydrotreating
Published on: December 25, 2016
10:19Synthesis and Testing of Supported Pt-Cu Solid Solution Nanoparticle Catalysts for Propane Dehydrogenation
Published on: July 18, 2017
Related Concept Videos
Free-Radical Chain Reaction and Polymerization of Alkenes
Reduction of Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation
Metals like palladium, platinum, and nickel are commonly used in their solid forms — fine powder on an inert surface. As these catalysts remain insoluble in the reaction mixture, they are referred to as heterogeneous catalysts.
The hydrogenation process takes place on the...
Reduction of Benzene to Cyclohexane: Catalytic Hydrogenation
Radical Formation: Abstraction
Even though homolysis produces radicals, it is different from radical...
Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Chain Branching
Electrophilic 1,2- and 1,4-Addition of HX to 1,3-Butadiene