Photochemical upcycling and recycling of plastics: achievements and future opportunities

Abstract

The pervasive effects of plastic waste pollution affect both humanity and the environment, thus innovative and environmentally-friendly methods for recycling of plastics are crucially needed. The application of light to degrade or transform plastics into valuable products has gained significant attention. Numerous researchers have explored irradiation to achieve the photocatalytic breakdown of highly resilient plastic waste components into valuable monomers, which can be utilized for the synthesis of novel materials of synthetic or pharmacological interest. Many of these techniques have resulted in H₂ evolution, while efforts were also made to reduce carbon emissions. In some cases, light was combined with additional energy sources, leading to development of photothermal or photoelectrochemical processes. With this tutorial review, our aim is to offer an overview of these novel photochemical upcycling protocols for the degradation of polymers, aspiring toward the introduction of novel processes in the near future.