Selective Degradation of Polyethylene Terephthalate Plastic Waste Using Iron Salt Photocatalysts

Plastic pollution poses a significant challenge to environmental conservation. Efficient recycling of plastic is a key strategy to address this issue. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), commonly found in plastic bottles, represents a substantial portion of plastic waste. Consequently, the efficient degradation and recycling of PET is crucial for the sustainable development of society. However, the implementation of methods for PET depolymerization and recycling typically necessitates alkaline/acidic pre-treatment and significant energy input for heating. Here, we propose a gentle, and highly efficient photocatalysis approach for selectively degrading PET plastic waste into terephthalic acid (TPA) in high yield (up to 99 %) using cost-effective iron salts. Notably, this method achieved excellent selectivity with high TON and TOF values, applying oxygen or air as environmentally friendly oxidants. In addition, the solvent can be recycled without compromising the TPA yield, and large-scale reactions can be performed smoothly.