Polyolefin Recycling with Binary Cobalt–Nickel Nanosheets

Abstract

The recycling of polyolefin plastics into value-added chemicals has emerged as a new frontier regarding the current environmental concerns. In this work, it is demonstrated that binary cobalt-nickel nanosheets (Co─Ni NSs) can serve as a non-noble catalyst for recycling polyethylene and polypropylene plastics. Detailed analysis implies that the strong synergy between Co and Ni in binary Co─Ni NSs enables the electron transfer from Ni to Co and enhances adsorption abilities to H₂ and C─C chain, realizing the cracking of polyethylene plastic to liquid products with a selectivity of 83.3% at a conversion of >98%. Impressively, such a catalyst can realize the successful recycling of commercial polyolefin wastes into value-added products. Given the enhanced stability, high selectivity to liquid products, and low-cost of Co─Ni NSs, this work provides a feasible strategy for recycling polyolefin plastics, which will attract extensive attention in various fields including catalysis, materials, energy, and beyond.