Overview

• Researchers applied 1H-13C FSLG-HETCOR solid-state NMR to generate high-resolution spectra of eight common plastics in real-life waste samples.
• Inline NMR guided orthogonal catalytic reactions converted PS, PLA, PU, PC, PVC, PET, PE and PP into over eight distinct chemicals including benzoic acid, terephthalic acid and alkanes.
• A 20-gram mixed sample of household and industrial plastics yielded multiple value-added products with high selectivity and efficiency in a single integrated process.
• Selective extraction of hazardous additives such as plasticizers and aromatic amines during conversion enhanced both environmental safety and resource recovery.
• Future work will refine catalyst performance and broaden the range of target polymers to boost turnover rates and overall sustainability.