A novel and efficient catalytic system composed of Ru-NbOPO4 and decane for the hydrodeoxygenation of polycarbonate waste into cycloalkane fuels
Jianxiu Hao, Yafang Zhang, Heya Na, Na Li, Yanpeng Ban, Huacong Zhou, Quansheng Liu
Abstract
Chemical recycling of polycarbonate (PC) waste can effectively upgrade PC to valuable chemicals. This work developed a novel catalytic system composed of Ru-NbOPO 4 as the catalyst and decane as the solvent for the selective hydrodeoxygenation of PC waste to cycloalkanes, a potential additive for jet fuels. The depolymerization degree and product distribution under the condition of different catalysts and solvents were investigated. The results proved that the combination of Ru-NbOPO 4 and decane exhibited the >99 % depolymerization degree of PC and > 99 % selectivity to cycloalkanes under 240 °C. The acidic sites in the NbOPO 4 framework effectively enhanced the hydrodeoxygenation capacity of the catalyst. The catalytic system can achieve the total conversion of real PC wastes (discarded CDs and water buckets) into cycloalkanes with >99 % selectivity under 240 °C. The by-product CO 2 derived from the carbonyl linking units in PC can also be converted into CH 4 along with the formation of cycloalkanes in one-pot reaction, increasing the catalytic efficiency of the system and decreasing the emission of CO 2 . With the advantages of high selectivity to cycloalkanes and efficient for real waste PC, the developed catalytic system provides a new approach for the selective upgradation of PC waste to cycloalkane fuels. The system composed of Ru-NbOPO 4 as the catalyst and decane as the solvent can fulfill the selective conversion of PC to cycloalkanes. • PC can be totally depolymerized in the system of Ru-NbOPO 4 as the catalyst and decane as the solvent. • The selectivity of cycloalkanes from PC can achieve 100 % in the developed system. • The product distribution can be tuned by the choice of the solvent.