A Ce-modified HY zeolite promotes polyethylene terephthalate hydrolysis and hydrogenation

The environmental problems arising from excessive polyethylene terephthalate (PET) production can be tackled through advanced recycling processes. Nevertheless, the stringent reaction conditions of high pressure and temperature pose obstacles to the advancement of these processes. Herein, we utilized an ion-exchange method to introduce Ce species into a HY zeolite and hydrolyzed PET under neutral conditions at 190 °C for 3 h, achieving a 93% TPA yield, which is 2.3 times higher than that of HY. Mechanism studies show that the incorporation of Ce species plays a crucial role in accelerating the generation of acid sites, which is essential for PET degradation. Additionally, within the composite system of Ce-HY and Pd, the Ce species play a crucial role in substantially boosting the H-spillover effect, which in turn promotes the hydrogenation of decomposition products. This research offers a straightforward and efficient approach for upgrading and recycling PET.