Activating Molybdenum Peroxide Scissors for Converting Polyamide Plastic into Low Carbon Alcohols

Abstract

Direct chemical conversion of plastic waste into low-carbon oxygenates, rather than carbon dioxide, with renewable energy, is important yet challenging. Due to the high C-X (X = C, H, N) bond energy, fully optimized catalysts are required to enable precise bond cleavage for boosted efficiency and selectivity. Here, we report adaptable and recyclable molybdenum peroxide photocatalysts that demonstrate chemical scissors for the selective conversion of polyamide to alcohol. Our experiments and calculations show that the dimensionally adaptable Mo(+5.8)-(O2) is activated via a ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) process for localized catalysis under illumination to precisely cleave C-X bonds to generate C2 and C1 alcohols. The additional hydrogen peroxide provides proton and peroxide conditions that facilitate the activation and regeneration of the catalytic scissors. The precise structures of the chemical scissors ultimately create the conditions for the precise oxidation and cutting of PA6 into methanol with an efficiency of 2.55 mmol·L−1·h−1 and a selectivity of 82.4%. This work provides insights into the role of adaptable metal peroxides in precisely cutting C-X bonds, which are critically important for the efficient and selective chemical conversion of plastic wastes.