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Depolymerizable Olefinic Polymers Based on Fused-Ring Cyclooctene Monomers
Published on: December 16, 2022
Liquid alloy-driven ambient upcycling of fluoropolymer waste
Qingfeng Fu1,2, Yan Duan1, Yan Zhang1
1College of Materials Science and Engineering, Hunan Joint International Laboratory of Advanced Materials and Technology for Clean Energy, Hunan Province Key Laboratory for Advanced Carbon Materials and Applied Technology, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China.
Abstract:
The chemical upcycling of fluoropolymer waste, particularly polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), has been severely hampered by the harsh thermal conditions required to cleave the highly stable carbon-fluorine (C-F) bonds. Here, we report a contact-electro-catalysis-induced self-propagating reaction (CEC-SPR) strategy that enables efficient cleavage of the robust C-F bonds in PTFE under ambient conditions. By employing a highly reactive NaK alloy, which reacts with PTFE through the exothermic Wurtz defluorination reaction, we facilitate the chemical recycling of PTFE into fluorine-doped carbon materials and metal fluorides at room temperature. Our results provide a new conceptual strategy for the upcycling of PTFE plastic waste into functionally useful carbon materials and inorganic fluoride products.
