Chem. J. Chinese Universities ›› 2024, Vol. 45 ›› Issue (9): 20240221.doi: 10.7503/cjcu20240221

• Article: Inorganic Chemistry • Previous Articles    

Beta@ZIF-67 Composite for Catalytic Degradation of Polylactic Acid Plastics

WANG Chenzhu1, GAO Mingkun1, GAO Yanjing1, QI Sixian1, YU Jihong1,2()   

  1. 1.State Key Laboratory of Inorganic Synthesis and Preparative Chemistry,College of Chemistry
    2.International Center of Future Science,Jilin University,Changchun 130012,China
  • Received:2024-05-05 Online:2024-09-10 Published:2024-07-01
  • Contact: YU Jihong E-mail:jihong@jlu.edu.cn
  • Supported by:
    the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2022YFA1503600)

Abstract:

Biodegradable plastics, such as polylactic acid(PLA), are preferable to traditional petroleum-based plastics. However, the natural degradation of PLA takes a long time and releases CO2. Therefore, upcycling PLA is a better option for achieving sustainable development. In this study, a Beta@ZIF-67 composite was developed for efficient catalytic degradation of waste PLA plastics, which was achieved by growing the zeolitic imidazolate framework-67(ZIF-67) on the surface of Beta zeolite. As a result, the real-life PLA plastics were completely converted to methyl lactate in just 4 h at 180 ℃ with a yield up to 76.4%. The high catalytic efficiency was attributed to the composite's open pore structure, large specific surface area, and the synergistic effect of the active sites provided by ZIF-67(Lewis acid/base) and Beta zeolite(Brønsted acid). Overall, this study provides a new way for designing and synthesizing zeolite-based composite catalysts, which show promising applications in the catalytic degradation of plastics.

Key words: Beta zeolite, Zeolitic imidazolate framework, Polylactic acid, Catalytic degradation

CLC Number: 

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