Plastic-waste hydrogenolysis over two-dimensional MXene-supported ruthenium catalysts with tunable interlayer spacing

Abstract

Plastic waste is a pressing global challenge. Chemical upcycling offers a promising pathway for converting it into valuable hydrocarbons. However, conventional catalysts often show low activity as a result of the limited mass transport of bulky polymer chains. This research develops a new class of two-dimensional MXene-supported ruthenium catalyst. The layered MXenes structure confines ruthenium particles within interlayer spaces, enhancing stability and enabling efficient side-face contact with polyethylene chains. Incorporating silica pillars further expands the interlayer spacing, significantly improving mass transport, reaction rates, and selectivity toward liquid fuels. This work highlights the potential of nanostructured catalyst design to enhance plastic upcycling. In the long term, this innovation could enable scalable, energy-efficient technologies for plastic-waste management and have societal benefits ranging from cleaner environments to more sustainable resource use.