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Dissolution-Precipitation Using Natural Terpenes as Pretreatment for PET Enzymatic Depolymerization.

João V M Resende^1,2, Sofia C Aparício², Isabel M Marrucho²

¹CleanTech - Clean Technology Laboratory, School of Chemistry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Avenida Athos da Silveira Ramos, 21941-598 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

|July 3, 2026

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This study introduces a green pretreatment for Poly-(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) using a natural solvent mixture, significantly enhancing enzymatic recycling. The method reduces PET crystallinity, boosting monomer recovery for sustainable plastic upcycling.

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Area of Science:

Materials Science
Green Chemistry
Biotechnology

Background:

Poly-(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) recycling faces challenges due to high crystallinity, limiting efficiency in mechanical, chemical, and enzymatic methods.
Enzymatic depolymerization presents a sustainable route for PET monomer recovery under mild conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop and evaluate a green pretreatment strategy for reducing PET crystallinity.
To enhance the efficiency of enzymatic depolymerization of PET using a novel pretreatment method.

Main Methods:

A green pretreatment using a thymol:carvacrol (1:1) mixture via dissolution-precipitation was applied to PET.
A full factorial design investigated the effects of dissolution temperature, polymer concentration, and solvent removal rate on crystallinity.
PET crystallinity was analyzed before and after pretreatment, and enzymatic depolymerization efficiency was assessed.

Main Results:

The thymol:carvacrol pretreatment reduced PET crystallinity by up to 14.1% without altering the polymer's chemical structure.
Pretreated PET showed a seven-fold increase in monomer recovery via enzymatic depolymerization compared to untreated PET after 72 hours.
The natural solvent-based pretreatment effectively lowered crystallinity, significantly improving enzymatic hydrolysis.

Conclusions:

The green dissolution-precipitation pretreatment using a thymol:carvacrol mixture is a promising strategy for enhancing PET enzymatic recycling.
This approach offers a sustainable pathway for efficient PET upcycling, contributing to greener plastic recycling technologies.