An Integrated Plasma–Photocatalytic System for Upcycling of Polyolefin Plastics

Abstract

Abstract Nondegradable polyolefin plastics, which account for >60 % of total plastic waste, trigger severe global concerns and thus demand effective management technologies. However, owing to the chemical inertness of non‐polar C−C backbones in the polyolefin structure, efficient upcycling of polyolefin plastics under ambient conditions remains a great challenge. This study introduces an integrated plasma–photocatalytic technology, coupling plasma treatment with solar‐driven reforming under mild conditions, for the efficient upcycling of polyolefin plastics into value‐added hydrogen and gaseous fuels. The first plasma step grafts oxygenated groups, such as −OH, O−C=O, and C=O, onto the polyolefin chains, which leads to the formation of a polar and hydrophilic polymer that facilitates the subsequent reforming in the photocatalytic step. Therefore, high hydrogen production activity with a benchmark efficiency of >100 μmol g −1 h −1 was achieved. Moreover, the integrated process also demonstrates high versatility in upcycling different polyolefin plastics including polyethylene, polypropylene and polyvinyl chloride. The findings provide a new avenue for plastic upcycling in an efficient and sustainable way.