Recent progress of waste plastic upcycling based on multifunctional zeolite catalysts
Xiaomei Wang, Jing Xu, Meng Zhao, Wenjie Cui, Xiaowei Mu, Wang Xiao, Shuyan Song, Hongjie Zhang
Abstract
The chemical upcycling method is a promising strategy to alleviate the pollution problem of waste plastics by tapping into their intrinsic value and converting them into high value-added products. Zeolite-based catalysts are one of the surprising and efficient classes of thermocatalytic materials that have recently attracted considerable attention for waste plastic upcycling. They are designed for targeted applications with a wide range of adjustable acidic sites, multiple pore structures, and synergistic interactions with surface metals. In this review, we categorize plastics being converted into different high-value products and introduce the role of zeolite-based catalysts in the thermal upcycling of plastics. The structure-performance relationships of zeolite-based catalysts in catalytic reactions are discussed in depth. Finally, the future development of these multifunctional catalysts applied to the upcycling of plastics is outlined.