Highly Efficient Depolymerization of Waste Polyesters Enabled by Transesterification/Hydrogenation Relay Under Mild Conditions

Abstract

The efficient depolymerization of polyesters under mild conditions remains a significant challenge. Herein, we demonstrate a highly efficient strategy for the degradation of a diverse array of waste polyesters as low to 80 °C, 1 bar H2. The key to the success of this transformation relied on the initial transesterification of macromolecular polyester into more degradable oligomeric fragments in the presence of CH3OH and the subsequent hydrogenation by the use of the rationally designed quinaldine-based Ru complex. Controlled experiments and preliminary mechanistic studies disclosed the quinaldine-based catalysts could be hydrogenated to the eventually active species, which has been confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis and directly used as a catalyst in the hydrogenolysis of polyester. The strong viability and high activity of this new species in protic solvent were explained in detail. Besides, the crucial role of CH3OH in promoting reaction efficiency during the whole process was also elucidated. The synthetic utility of this method was further illustrated by preparing 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol (CHDM) from waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET).