Chemoenzymatic Photoreforming: A Sustainable Approach for Solar Fuel Generation from Plastic Feedstocks
Subhajit Bhattacharjee, Chengzhi Guo, Erwin Lam, Josephin M. Holstein, Mariana Rangel Pereira, Christian M. Pichler, Chanon Pornrungroj, Motiar Rahaman, Taylor Uekert, Florian Hollfelder, Erwin Reisner
Abstract
High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Plastic upcycling through catalytic transformations is an attractive concept to valorize waste, but the clean and energy-efficient production of high-value products from plastics remains challenging. Here, we introduce chemoenzymatic photoreforming as a process coupling enzymatic pretreatment and solar-driven reforming of polyester plastics under mild temperatures and pH to produce clean H 2 and value-added chemicals. Chemoenzymatic photoreforming demonstrates versatility in upcycling polyester films and nanoplastics to produce H 2 at high yields reaching ∼10 3 –10 4 μmol g sub –1 and activities at >500 μmol g cat –1 h –1 . Enzyme-treated plastics were also used as electron donors for photocatalytic CO 2 -to-syngas conversion with a phosphonated cobalt bis(terpyridine) catalyst immobilized on TiO 2 nanoparticles (TiO 2 | CotpyP ). Finally, techno-economic analyses reveal that the chemoenzymatic photoreforming approach has the potential to drastically reduce H 2 production costs to levels comparable to market prices of H 2 produced from fossil fuels while maintaining low CO 2 -equivalent emissions.