Front Cover: Continuous-Flow Conversion of Waste Polystyrene Into Styrene Monomers Utilizing the Microwave-Concentration Effect on Spherical Activated Carbon (ChemSusChem 20/2026)

Abstract

The Front Cover illustrates the continuous-flow chemical recycling of waste polystyrene by using microwave-heated spherical activated carbon. Waste PS enters a fixed-bed flow reactor, where carbon beads efficiently absorb microwave energy to generate a localized high-temperature reaction zone. The polymer chains are depolymerized to produce styrene, which exits the reactor and is recovered. The surrounding water and green landscape symbolize circularity and the potential for environmentally conscious plastic recycling. More information can be found in the Research Article by T. Ikawa and co-workers (DOI: 10.1002/cssc.71054).