Targeted conversion of waste PET into dimethyl terephthalate and ethylene carbonate under metal-free conditions

Eco-Environment & Health Pub Date : 2025-02-24 DOI:10.1016/j.eehl.2025.100139

Minghao Zhang , Yijin Lu , Zhuo Wang , Xiong Gao , Xuanhang Luo , Xin Shen , Weixiang Wu , Qingqing Mei

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Ionic liquid-catalyzed methanolysis emerges as an efficient technique for transforming PET into premium-grade dimethyl terephthalate (DMT). However, incomplete depolymerization remains a major obstacle to the further industrial application of IL-catalyzed PET methanolysis. The proposed method utilized dimethyl carbonate (DMC) as the solvent for the complete methanolysis of waste PET under mild conditions, resulting in pure DMT and ethylene carbonate (EC) within 2.5 h. The use of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([EMIm][OAc]) as the IL catalyst significantly enhanced the reaction efficiency. Spectroscopic analyses using ¹H NMR and FT-IR confirmed the pivotal role of [EMIm][OAc] in establishing multiple hydrogen bonds with the reactants (PET, DMC, and MeOH) and the intermediate [ethylene glycol (EG)] during the catalytic process. This catalytic system exhibited remarkable performance, achieving complete conversion of PET, which resulted in the production of DMT and EC with yields of 99% and 91%, respectively. Moreover, this versatile approach is applicable to the upcycling of a wide variety of commercial polyesters and polycarbonates, underscoring its potential as a comprehensive solution for plastic waste management.

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来源期刊

Eco-Environment & Health 环境科学与生态学-生态、环境与健康

CiteScore

11.00

自引率

0.00%

发文量

审稿时长

22 days

期刊介绍： Eco-Environment & Health (EEH) is an international and multidisciplinary peer-reviewed journal designed for publications on the frontiers of the ecology, environment and health as well as their related disciplines. EEH focuses on the concept of “One Health” to promote green and sustainable development, dealing with the interactions among ecology, environment and health, and the underlying mechanisms and interventions. Our mission is to be one of the most important flagship journals in the field of environmental health. Scopes EEH covers a variety of research areas, including but not limited to ecology and biodiversity conservation, environmental behaviors and bioprocesses of emerging contaminants, human exposure and health effects, and evaluation, management and regulation of environmental risks. The key topics of EEH include: 1) Ecology and Biodiversity Conservation Biodiversity Ecological restoration Ecological safety Protected area 2) Environmental and Biological Fate of Emerging Contaminants Environmental behaviors Environmental processes Environmental microbiology 3) Human Exposure and Health Effects Environmental toxicology Environmental epidemiology Environmental health risk Food safety 4) Evaluation, Management and Regulation of Environmental Risks Chemical safety Environmental policy Health policy Health economics Environmental remediation