Florisil®-Catalyzed Alcoholysis: A Sustainable Route for Plastic Waste Valorization
Abstract
Chemical recycling of plastic waste into value-added chemicals represents a key strategy for advancing a circular plastics economy. Herein, we report the first systematic application of commercially available Florisil® as an inexpensive, readily available heterogeneous catalyst for the alcoholysis of polyester and polycarbonate plastic waste. Under optimized conditions, poly(lactic acid) (PLA), poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), poly(4-hydroxybutyrate) (P4HB), poly(butylene succinate) (PBS), poly(ethylene succinate) (PES), and bisphenol A polycarbonate (PC-BPA) were efficiently depolymerized into valuable diesters and diols in good to excellent yields (up to ~90%). The catalytic system also maintained high performance on a larger reaction scale and proved effective for the selective depolymerization of mixed polyester waste streams, demonstrating its robustness and practical applicability. Unlike many previously reported catalytic systems that rely on metal salts or specially synthesized catalysts, Florisil® requires no prior modification and combines operational simplicity with high catalytic efficiency. These findings establish Florisil® as a sustainable and practical catalytic alternative for plastic waste valorization, broadening the range of accessible heterogeneous catalysts for chemical recycling.