Glycolysis of PET using 1,3-dimethylimidazolium-2-carboxylate as an organocatalyst

Lei Wang; Jeni Toland; Gareth Nelson; John Holbrey

doi:10.1021/acssuschemeng.0c04108

Glycolysis of PET using 1,3-dimethylimidazolium-2-carboxylate as an organocatalyst

Lei Wang
, Jeni Toland
, Gareth Nelson
, John Holbrey^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

120 Citations (Scopus)

795 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

The use of 1,3-dimethylimidazolium-2-carboxylate as an organocatalyst for the glycolysis of waste PET, poly(ethylene terephthalate), is reported for the first time. Post-consumer PET was completely depolymerised in less than 1 h at 180◦C with up to 60% of bis(2-hydroxyethyl terephthalate) (BHET) was recovered by precipitation after cooling of the reaction mixture. Under comparable conditions the basic ionic liquid, 1,3-dimethylimidazolium acetate, was a significantly less effective catalyst suggesting that catalysis occurs through formation of a nucleophilic N-heterocyclic carbene.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	13362-13368
Number of pages	7
Journal	ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering
Volume	8
Issue number	35
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.0c04108
Publication status	Published - 11 Aug 2020

Keywords

Ionic liquids
Plastics recycling
PET glycolysis

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Inorganic Chemistry
General Chemistry

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10.1021/acssuschemeng.0c04108Licence: Unspecified

Glycolysis of PET using 1,3-dimethylimidazolium-2-carboxylate as an organocatalyst
© 2020 ACS. This work is made available online in accordance with the publisher’s policies. Please refer to any applicable terms of use of the publisher.
Accepted author manuscript, 5.53 MBLicence: Unspecified

Recycling of waste PET using an ionic liquid derived 1,3-dimethylimidazolium-2-carboxylate organocatalyst
Holbrey, J. (Invited speaker)
03 Dec 2020
Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited or keynote talk at national or international conference

Chemical recycle of polyester waste using novel zwitterionic catalysts
Wang, L. (Author), Holbrey, J. (Supervisor) & Swadzba-Kwasny, G. (Supervisor), 2019
Student thesis: Masters Thesis › Master of Philosophy

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title = "Glycolysis of PET using 1,3-dimethylimidazolium-2-carboxylate as an organocatalyst",

abstract = "The use of 1,3-dimethylimidazolium-2-carboxylate as an organocatalyst for the glycolysis of waste PET, poly(ethylene terephthalate), is reported for the first time. Post-consumer PET was completely depolymerised in less than 1 h at 180◦C with up to 60\% of bis(2-hydroxyethyl terephthalate) (BHET) was recovered by precipitation after cooling of the reaction mixture. Under comparable conditions the basic ionic liquid, 1,3-dimethylimidazolium acetate, was a significantly less effective catalyst suggesting that catalysis occurs through formation of a nucleophilic N-heterocyclic carbene.",

keywords = "Ionic liquids, Plastics recycling, PET glycolysis",

author = "Lei Wang and Jeni Toland and Gareth Nelson and John Holbrey",

year = "2020",

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doi = "10.1021/acssuschemeng.0c04108",

language = "English",

volume = "8",

pages = "13362--13368",

journal = "ACS Sustainable Chemistry \& Engineering",

issn = "2168-0485",

publisher = "American Chemical Society",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Glycolysis of PET using 1,3-dimethylimidazolium-2-carboxylate as an organocatalyst

AU - Wang, Lei

AU - Toland, Jeni

AU - Nelson, Gareth

AU - Holbrey, John

PY - 2020/8/11

Y1 - 2020/8/11

N2 - The use of 1,3-dimethylimidazolium-2-carboxylate as an organocatalyst for the glycolysis of waste PET, poly(ethylene terephthalate), is reported for the first time. Post-consumer PET was completely depolymerised in less than 1 h at 180◦C with up to 60% of bis(2-hydroxyethyl terephthalate) (BHET) was recovered by precipitation after cooling of the reaction mixture. Under comparable conditions the basic ionic liquid, 1,3-dimethylimidazolium acetate, was a significantly less effective catalyst suggesting that catalysis occurs through formation of a nucleophilic N-heterocyclic carbene.

AB - The use of 1,3-dimethylimidazolium-2-carboxylate as an organocatalyst for the glycolysis of waste PET, poly(ethylene terephthalate), is reported for the first time. Post-consumer PET was completely depolymerised in less than 1 h at 180◦C with up to 60% of bis(2-hydroxyethyl terephthalate) (BHET) was recovered by precipitation after cooling of the reaction mixture. Under comparable conditions the basic ionic liquid, 1,3-dimethylimidazolium acetate, was a significantly less effective catalyst suggesting that catalysis occurs through formation of a nucleophilic N-heterocyclic carbene.

KW - Ionic liquids

KW - Plastics recycling

KW - PET glycolysis

U2 - 10.1021/acssuschemeng.0c04108

DO - 10.1021/acssuschemeng.0c04108

M3 - Article

SN - 2168-0485

VL - 8

SP - 13362

EP - 13368

JO - ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering

JF - ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering

IS - 35

ER -

Glycolysis of PET using 1,3-dimethylimidazolium-2-carboxylate as an organocatalyst

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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Activities

Recycling of waste PET using an ionic liquid derived 1,3-dimethylimidazolium-2-carboxylate organocatalyst

Student theses

Chemical recycle of polyester waste using novel zwitterionic catalysts

Cite this