Catalytic plastic upcycling into value-added chemicals

In the context of exponential increase of plastic waste generation, it has become critical to discover chemical routes to recycle plastics. In particular, ubiquitously used plastics such as HDPE, LDPE, PP need more serious attention due to their nature to resist chemical changes. My project deals with implementation of novel catalysts based on transition metals for hydroprocessing into valuable chemical products with focus on liquid ones with low molecular weight. Apart from achieving a high yield, it is essential for catalysts to selectively convert plastics into chemicals with desirable properties. My project aims to develop such catalysts. My project also seeks to combine catalysis with reaction engineering to design processes that can be performed under mild conditions. The project is motivated by the idea of being able to achieve a circular economy for plastics.