Recycling Polyester and Polycarbonate Plastics with Carbocation Lewis Acidic Organocatalysts

The effective management of plastic waste is critical for environmental sustainability. This work explores the use of carbocation catalysts for the recycling of common polyesters and polycarbonates through alcoholysis. We demonstrate complete depolymerization of end-of-life materials and investigate the relationship between the catalytic reactivity and the structural features of the carbocation compounds, including the cations and their counteranions. Carbocations function as Lewis acids, facilitating the interaction with carbonyls in polymer chains. Moreover, our approach enables the hierarchical degradation of the polyester blends. This research not only elucidates the catalytic role of carbocations in the alcoholysis of these polymers, but also establishes a metal-free process for the efficient recycling of waste plastics.