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Chemical Deconstruction of Plastics: Insights from in situ simultaneous SAXS and WAXS

ORAL

Abstract

Plastic waste presents a significant environmental challenge due to its rapid production and resistance to natural degradation. Chemical deconstruction offers a promising solution; however, designing new reactions and optimizing reaction parameters is challenging because of the complex morphology of polymers and their interactions with solvents and catalysts. This complexity is further compounded by the difficulty of probing these interactions in real time within laboratory chemical reactors.

In this talk, we explore mechanistic insights into various deconstruction reactions, including the oxidative upcycling of mixed plastics into low molecular weight oxygenated species and the solvolysis of polyesters for monomer recovery, utilizing in situ simultaneous Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) and Wide-Angle X-ray Scattering (WAXS) techniques. Our approach enables real-time probing of the multiscale structural changes in polymers due to solvent and catalyst interactions during deconstruction reactions. Specifically, we will discuss how solvents and catalysts diffuse and interact with both crystalline and amorphous domains of polymers, as well as the impact of these interactions on the physical properties of the polymers and their implications for deconstruction reactions.

Our study reveals physical interactions and design considerations across multiple solvent-based polymer deconstruction strategies, demonstrating how different processes can be tuned and optimized by gaining insights from in situ measurements.

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Publication: [1] Cuthbertson, A. A.; Lincoln, C.; Miscall, J.; Stanley, L. M.; Maurya, A. K.; Asundi, A. S.; Tassone, C. J.; Rorrer, N. A.; Beckham, G. T. Characterization of Polymer Properties and Identification of Additives in Commercially Available Research Plastics. Green Chem. 2024, 26, 7067–7090.<br><br>[2] Asundi, A. S.; Ebrahim, A. M.; Maurya, A. K.; Palumbo, C. T.; Sullivan, K. P.; Beckham, G. T.; Sarangi, R. Effect of Ligand Chemistry on the Electronic Properties and Reactivity of Cobalt Acetate Autoxidation Catalysts. J. Phys. Chem. C 2023, 127 (32), 15797–15808.<br><br>[3] Maurya, A. K.; Asundi, A. S.; Ebrahim, A. M.; Hesse, S. A.; Sullivan, K. P.; Miscall, J.; Bare, S. R.; Sarangi, R.; Beckham, G. T.; Tassone, C. J.; Solvent and Catalyst Interactions with Polyethylene and Polystyrene in Catalytic Autoxidation Using Simultaneous SAXS and WAXS. (Under Review)<br><br>[4] Curley, J. B.; Liang, Y.; DesVeaux, J. S.; Choi, H.; Uekert, T.; Clarke, R. W.; Michener, W. E.; Maurya, A. K.; Stanley, L. M.; Wue, Y.; Baer, A. L.; Tassone, C. J.; Jacobsen, A. J.; Mante, O.; Beckham, G. T.; Knauer, K. M.; Closed-Loop Recycling of Mixed Polyesters via Catalytic Methanolysis and Monomer Separations. (in preparation)<br><br>[5] Maurya, A. K.; Asundi, A. S.; Bozkurt, O. D.; Bare, S. R.; Sarangi, R.; Knauer, K. M.; Tassone, C. J. Insights into Mechanistic Understanding of Deconstruction of Various Polyesters by Acetolysis and Methanolysis. (in preparation).

Presenters

  • Anjani K. K Maurya

    [1] Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA; [2] BOTTLE Consortium, Golden, CO 80401 USA

Authors

  • Anjani K. K Maurya

    [1] Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA; [2] BOTTLE Consortium, Golden, CO 80401 USA

  • Arun S Asundi

    [1] Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA; [2] BOTTLE Consortium, Golden, CO 80401 USA

  • Ozge D Bozkurt

    [1] Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA; [2] BOTTLE Consortium, Golden, CO 80401 USA

  • Julia Curley

    [1] Renewable Resources and Enabling Sciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 80401, USA; [2] BOTTLE Consortium, Golden, CO 80401 USA

  • Katrina M Knauer

    [1] Renewable Resources and Enabling Sciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 80401, USA; [2] BOTTLE Consortium, Golden, CO 80401 USA

  • Gregg T Beckham

    [1] Renewable Resources and Enabling Sciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 80401, USA; [2] BOTTLE Consortium, Golden, CO 80401 USA

  • Christopher J Tassone

    [1] Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA; [2] BOTTLE Consortium, Golden, CO 80401 USA