CO-promoted polyethylene hydrogenolysis with renewable formic acid as hydrogen donor
Yuqi Wang, Qikun Hu, Shuairen Qian, Jiayang Zhao, Yi Cheng, Jun Ma, Jing Zhang, Zhiqiang Niu
Abstract
Hydrogenolysis has emerged as a promising strategy for the chemical recycling of plastic waste, yet its reliance on high-pressure hydrogen poses significant challenges. Biomass- or CO2-derived formic acid (FA) is a renewable hydrogen carrier with the advantages of low toxicity and ease of storage and transport. Here, we use FA to replace high-pressure hydrogen to convert polyethylene (PE) into fuels and chemicals with only 4.1% gaseous products by a RuPt alloy catalyst. We demonstrate that the trace amounts of CO generated from the decomposition of FA do not poison the active sites, but rather induce the formation of Ruδ+, which facilitates the C–C bond cleavage during PE hydrogenolysis. This approach eliminates the need for high-pressure hydrogen and provides a more flexible and adaptable approach for decentralized plastic processing. Plastic hydrogenolysis relies heavily on high-pressure hydrogen. This study uses renewable formic acid with a RuPt alloy catalyst, enabling efficient polyethylene conversion while CO-induced Ruδ+ species facilitate selective C–C bond cleavage.