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Related Concept Videos

Reduction of Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation02:13

Reduction of Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation

Alkenes undergo reduction by the addition of molecular hydrogen to give alkanes. Because the process generally occurs in the presence of a transition-metal catalyst, the reaction is called 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 surface of...
Microbial Bioremediation of Plastics01:28

Microbial Bioremediation of Plastics

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a synthetic polymer widely utilized in the packaging industry, particularly for bottles and containers. Due to its chemical stability and durability, PET accumulates in the environment, contributing significantly to plastic pollution. It comprises repeating units of terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol, resulting in a semi-crystalline structure that is resistant to natural degradation processes.A notable breakthrough in plastic biodegradation came with the...
Olefin Metathesis Polymerization: Overview01:13

Olefin Metathesis Polymerization: Overview

Recently, the development of olefin metathesis polymerization advanced the field of polymer synthesis. Simply put, the reorganization of substituents on their double bonds between two olefins in the presence of a catalyst is known as the olefin metathesis reaction. The use of metathesis reaction for polymer synthesis is called olefin metathesis polymerization.
Ruthenium-based Grubbs catalyst is the most commonly used catalyst for olefin metathesis polymerization. Grubbs catalyst consists of a...
Reduction of Alkynes to cis-Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation02:24

Reduction of Alkynes to cis-Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation

Introduction
Like alkenes, alkynes can be reduced to alkanes in the presence of transition metal catalysts such as Pt, Pd, or Ni. The reaction involves two sequential syn additions of hydrogen via a cis-alkene intermediate.
Free-Radical Chain Reaction and Polymerization of Alkenes02:35

Free-Radical Chain Reaction and Polymerization of Alkenes

The conversion of alkenes to macromolecules called polymers is a reaction of high commercial importance. The structure of the polymer is defined by a repeating unit, while the terminal groups are considered insignificant. The average degree of polymerization represents the number of repeating units in the polymer molecule and is denoted by the subscript n.
Reduction of Alkenes: Asymmetric Catalytic Hydrogenation02:17

Reduction of Alkenes: Asymmetric Catalytic Hydrogenation

Catalytic hydrogenation of alkenes is a transition-metal catalyzed reduction of the double bond using molecular hydrogen to give alkanes. The mode of hydrogen addition follows syn stereochemistry.
The metal catalyst used can be either heterogeneous or homogeneous. When hydrogenation of an alkene generates a chiral center, a pair of enantiomeric products is expected to form. However, an enantiomeric excess of one of the products can be facilitated using an enantioselective reaction or an...

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Updated: May 11, 2026

Hydrogen Production and Utilization in a Membrane Reactor
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Hydrogen Production and Utilization in a Membrane Reactor

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Bridging Catalyst Design and Process-Level Analysis for Sustainable Polyethylene Recycling via Hydrogenolysis.

Iris Nogueroles-Langa1,2, Yuzhen Ge3,2, Cecilia Salah4,2

  • 1Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland. inogueroles@ethz.ch.

Chimia
|May 9, 2026
PubMed
Summary

Developing new catalysts for plastic recycling is key. Ruthenium-Nickel alloy nanoparticles on titania efficiently convert high-density polyethylene into valuable liquid alkanes, optimizing both environmental and economic goals.

Keywords:
Heterogeneous catalysisLife cycle assessmentPlastic recyclingPolyolefin hydrogenolysisTechno-economic analysis

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Depolymerizable Olefinic Polymers Based on Fused-Ring Cyclooctene Monomers
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Depolymerizable Olefinic Polymers Based on Fused-Ring Cyclooctene Monomers

Published on: December 16, 2022

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Last Updated: May 11, 2026

Hydrogen Production and Utilization in a Membrane Reactor
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Published on: March 10, 2023

Depolymerizable Olefinic Polymers Based on Fused-Ring Cyclooctene Monomers
08:12

Depolymerizable Olefinic Polymers Based on Fused-Ring Cyclooctene Monomers

Published on: December 16, 2022

Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Catalysis
  • Chemical Engineering

Background:

  • Chemical recycling of plastics is essential for sustainability.
  • Catalyst development needs to align with process-level sustainability metrics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop efficient catalysts for high-density polyethylene (HDPE) hydrogenolysis.
  • To bridge catalyst design with process-level sustainability and economic viability.

Main Methods:

  • Synthesis and characterization of Ru-Ni alloy nanoparticles supported on titania.
  • Hydrogenolysis of HDPE under optimized conditions.
  • In situ operando spectroscopy and temperature-programmed desorption experiments.
  • Life cycle assessment (LCA) and techno-economic analysis (TEA).

Main Results:

  • Achieved up to 55% yield of liquid alkane products (C6-C45) from HDPE hydrogenolysis.
  • Identified in situ formation of Ru-Ni alloy sites.
  • Demonstrated enhanced preference for internal C-C bond scission over terminal scission with bimetallic catalysts.
  • Established a minimum average chain length threshold (C11) for product distribution.

Conclusions:

  • Ru-Ni alloy nanoparticles on titania are effective catalysts for HDPE chemical recycling.
  • Bridging catalyst design with process-level analyses is crucial for sustainable and economic chemical recycling.
  • The C11 threshold provides a guideline for catalyst design to meet environmental and economic objectives.