Zinc‐Catalyzed Depolymerization of the End‐of‐Life Poly(ethylene 2,5‐furandicarboxylate)
Christoph Alberti, Konstantin Matthiesen, Moritz Wehrmeister, Sergej Bycinskij, Stephan Enthaler
Abstract
Abstract The depolymerization of end‐of‐life polymers to valued chemicals (waste‐to‐chemicals) can be a suitable tool for the transformation from a linear to a circular economy. Therefore, the depolymerization of end‐of‐life poly(ethylene 2,5‐furandicarboxylate), discussed as sustainable substitute of poly(ethylene terephthalate), was studied. In more detail, in the presence of catalytic amounts of zinc(II) acetate poly(ethylene 2,5‐furandicarboxylate) was converted by methanolysis to dimethyl 2,5‐furandicarboxylate and ethylene glycol using microwave heating. Turnover frequencies up to 396 h 1 were realized. Interestingly, the products dimethyl 2,5‐furandicarboxylate and ethylene glycol can be used as building blocks for the zinc‐catalyzed resynthesis of poly(ethylene 2,5‐furandicarboxylate); therefore a recycling is realizable.