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Updated: Jan 7, 2026

Depolymerizable Olefinic Polymers Based on Fused-Ring Cyclooctene Monomers
Published on: December 16, 2022
White-Light-Induced Vanadyl-Catalyzed Chemical Recycling of Polyesters at Room Temperature
Rui Huang1, Yinsong Zhao1, Xuefeng Jiang1,2
1Hainan Institute of East China Normal University, State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Molecular & Process Engineering, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.
Abstract:
The continuous accumulation of postconsumer polyesters has caused a severe environmental and ecological crisis. Chemical recycling provides a promising strategy for transforming polyester waste back to monomers and value-added chemicals with improved energy efficiency. Herein, we report a chemical recycling of polyesters via the white-light-induced vanadyl catalysis at room temperature (without external heating; 25°C-50°C under irradiation). Mechanistic studies demonstrated the dual roles of the vanadyl photocatalyst in both bond activation and hierarchical structural disintegration. The protocol is highly compatible with 27 examples of polyethylene terephthalate (PET)-based materials, even reinforced packaging containers and colored composite textiles, affording terephthalic acid (TPA) monomer with up to quantitative yields. A 100 g-scale experiment further demonstrated the robustness and feasibility of the process as a practical strategy for PET waste valorization.
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