Research on chemical recycling of selected plastics in the presence of new catalysts - metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) will be conducted by dr inż. Patrycja Maria Jutrzenka Trzebiatowska from the Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk.
The project entitled: 'Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as potential catalysts for chemical recycling of polymers' received funding within the NCN SONATINA 5 competition. The planned research will focus on the chemical recycling of selected plastics in the presence of new catalysts - metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). The project is in line with green chemistry trends as chemical recycling allows for waste management and recovery of valuable substrates that can be reused in the synthesis of new materials.
MOFs, or metal-organic frameworks, are crystalline materials composed of metal nodes and organic linkers, forming three-dimensional porous structures. In the last two decades, MOFs have become a popular topic among researchers due to their unique properties, ability to control the structure, pore size and nature of active sites and have found applications in various catalytic reactions (e.g. hydrolysis, oxidation, esterification, polymerisation). The project proposes a new area of application for MOFs. - 'This project aims to evaluate the use of organometallic structures as a catalyst for the chemical recycling of the following polymers PET, polyurethanes (PU) and polycarbonate (PC). The choice of catalyst in chemical recycling reactions is an important factor influencing the quality and properties of the recovered products and the time of complete degradation,' explains dr inż. Patrycja Jutrzenka Trzebiatowska from the Faculty of Chemistry, UG.
In this project, MOFs will be synthesised and characterised by methods such as FTIR, Raman, XRD, TGA, SEM. Then, the prepared MOFs will serve as catalysts in chemical recycling reactions (glycolysis of PET and polyurethane, methanolysis of polycarbonate). It will be determined how the use of MOF catalyst affects the depolymerization reaction mechanism, reaction kinetics, reaction efficiency and the quality of intermediates (remonomers or reoligomers). The obtained intermediates will be characterised by methods: NMR, FTIR, GPC, TGA. Furthermore, attempts will be made to remove the catalyst after the chemical recycling process and to reuse it in the same process.
- 'I have chosen the POLYMAT Institute of Polymer Materials located in San Sebastian, Spain, as the site for my 4-month internship. The institute is equipped with high-end apparatus and laboratory equipment, which is adapted to the synthesis, characteristics of polymeric materials, among others. It is a place where I can cooperate with other specialists in the chemical recycling of polymers,' says dr inż. Patrycja Jutrzenka Trzebiatowska. - 'The work during the internship will focus on the characteristics of the obtained recovered products and MOF. Moreover, during the course additional experiments will be carried out, e.g., synthesis of new materials from the obtained chemical recycling intermediates,' - she adds.
The project 'Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as potential catalysts for chemical recycling of polymers' will be implemented in the Department of Environmental Technology, Photocatalysis Group, under the funding obtained in the SONATINA 5 competition organised by the National Science Centre.