Co-recycling of Polyethylene Terephthalate and Polylactic Acid by WO3-loaded S1 Zeolite

doi:10.1007/s40242-026-6072-6

Chemical Research in Chinese Universities ›› 2026, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (5): 1554-1559.doi: 10.1007/s40242-026-6072-6

• Research Articles • Previous Articles Next Articles

Co-recycling of Polyethylene Terephthalate and Polylactic Acid by WO₃-loaded S1 Zeolite

LI Yuxiong^1,2,3, WU Xueting⁴, XU Jing^1,2,3, WANG Xiao^1,2,3, SONG Shuyan^1,2,3, ZHANG Hongjie^1,2,3,5

1. State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, P. R. China;
2. School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, P. R. China;
3. China-Belarus "Belt and Road" Joint Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Manufacturing, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, P. R. China;
4. School of Chemistry & Environmental Engineering, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun, 130022, P. R. China;
5. Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P. R. China

Received:2026-03-23 Accepted:2026-05-06 Online:2026-10-01 Published:2026-09-24
Supported by:
This work was supported by the Program of Science and Technology Development Plan of Jilin Province of China (No. SLK202402015), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 22020102003, 22025506, and 22271274), and the Program of Science and Technology Development Plan of Jilin Province of China (No. 20240402056GH). WANG Xiao acknowledges the funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China Outstanding Youth Science Foundation of China (Overseas).

Abstract

Abstract: Chemical recycling of single-component plastic wastes is regarded as an important way to save waste carbon resources. However, the real plastic wastes are multi-component composition, which combine with various plastics, and the chemical recycling of mixed polyesters often faces significant challenges because of complex functional groups and harsh acidic environment. In this work, we combined WO₃ with zeolite and synthesized 5W/S1 to address this challenge. The 5W/S1 shows excellent catalytic ability, which can convert polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polylactic acid (PLA) to terephthalic acid (TPA), ethylene glycol (EG), and lactic acid (LA) with high yields and keep activity after use. From the results, there is a synergistic effect that occurs during the reaction, which is induced by polylactic acid and 5W/S1; they are synergistic in activating the ester groups to promote the conversion of PET. This work can provide a novel insight into the development of stable catalysts for recycling mixed plastics.

Key words: Co-recycling, Mixed plastic, Hydrolysis, Synergistic activating

LI Yuxiong, WU Xueting, XU Jing, WANG Xiao, SONG Shuyan, ZHANG Hongjie. Co-recycling of Polyethylene Terephthalate and Polylactic Acid by WO₃-loaded S1 Zeolite[J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2026, 42(5): 1554-1559.

References

[1] Li H., Aguirre-Villegas H. A., Allen R. D., Bai X., Benson C. H., Beckham G. T., Bradshaw S. L., Brown J. L., Brown R. C., Cecon V. S., Curley J. B., Curtzwiler G. W., Dong S., Gaddameedi S., Estela-García J. E., Hermans I., Kim M. S., Ma J., Mark L. O., Mavrikakis M., Olafasakin O. O., Osswald T. A., Papanikolaou K. G., Radhakrishnan H., Castillo M. A. S., Sánchez-Rivera K. L., Tumu K. N., Van Lehn R. C., Vorst K. L., Wright M. M., Wu J., Zavala V. M., Zhou P., Huber G. W., Green Chemistry, 2022, 24, 9329.
[2] Martín A. J., Mondelli C., Jaydev S. D., Pérez-Ramírez J., Chem, 2021, 7, 1487.
[3] Shi C., Quinn E. C., Diment W. T., Chen E. Y. X., Chemical Reviews, 2024, 124, 4393.
[4] Zhang S., Zhao X., Liu X., Chen L., Bai L., Xu S., Wang Y.-Z., Progress in Polymer Science, 2025, 164, 101958.
[5] Sun L., Wu X., Fang Y., Xie Q., Xu J., Wang X., Song S., Zhang H., Dalton Transactions, 2025, 54, 15333.
[6] Cen Z., Han X., Lin L., Yang S., Han W., Wen W., Yuan W., Dong M., Ma Z., Li F., Ke Y., Dong J., Zhang J., Liu S., Li J., Li Q., Wu N., Xiang J., Wu H., Cai L., Hou Y., Cheng Y., Daemen L. L., Ramirez-Cuesta A. J., Ferrer P., Grinter D. C., Held G., Liu Y., Han B., Nature Chemistry, 2024, 16, 871.
[7] Poderyte M., Lima R., Golbækdal P. I., Juhl D. W., Olesen K. L., Nielsen N. C., Lanza A., Lee J.-W., Science Advances, 2025, 11, eadv5906.
[8] Cao R., Zhang M.-Q., Jiao Y., Li Y., Sun B., Xiao D., Wang M., Ma D., Nature Sustainability, 2023, 6, 1685.
[9] DesVeaux J. S., Uekert T., Curley J. B., Choi H., Liang Y., Singh A., Mante O. D., Beckham G. T., Jacobsen A. J., Knauer K. M., One Earth, 2024, 7, 2204.
[10] Zhao J., Hu Q., Wang Y., Che Y., Niu Z., Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2025, 147, 30768.
[11] Mitta H., Li L., Havaei M., Parida D., Feghali E., Elst K., Aerts A., Vanbroekhoven K., Van Geem K. M., Green Chemistry, 2025, 27, 10.
[12] Zhang W., Yang B., Jackson B. A., Zhao J., Shi H., Camaioni D. M., Kim S., Wang H., Szanyi J., Lee M.-S., Chen J. G., Lercher J. A., Science, 2025, 39, 88.
[13] Gao Z., Wang Y., Yuan L., Shi X., Shang Y., Jiang J., Zhang M., Fang S., Zhang W., Liu Y., Nature Sustainability, 2024, 7, 1691.
[14] Nwachukwu U. C., Moegling M. J., Perera S. M. H. D., Pathan A. N., Chen J., Rezvani F., Vannante Valappil A. R., Zhou C., Rahman L., Liu J., Kim S., Eagan J. M., Deshpande S., Porosoff M. D., Chen L., Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2025, 147, 47963.
[15] Zhang Y., Gao J., Jiang C., Luo G., Fan J., Clark J. H., Zhang S., Green Chemistry, 2024, 26, 6748.
[16] Xin J., Zhang Q., Huang J., Huang R., Jaffery Q. Z., Yan D., Zhou Q., Xu J., Lu X., Journal of Environmental Management, 2021, 296, 113267.
[17] Le N. H., Ngoc Van T. T., Shong B., Cho J., ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 2022, 10, 17261.
[18] Wei X., Qiu J., Wang H., Zheng W., Sun W., Zhao L., Chemical Engineering Journal, 2025, 508, 161115.
[19] Pereira P., Savage P. E., Pester C. W., Green Chemistry, 2025, 27, 2165.
[20] Sun Z., Wang K., Lin Q., Guo W., Chen M., Chen C., Zhang C., Fei J., Zhu Y., Li J., Liu Y., He H., Cao Y., Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2024, 63, e202408561.
[21] Zhang M., Huo Z., Li L., Ji Y., Ding T., Hou G., Song S., Dai W., ChemSusChem, 2025, 18, e202402013.
[22] Peng Y., Yang J., Deng C., Deng J., Shen L., Fu Y., Nature Communications, 2023, 14, 3249.
[23] Chen J., Wang H., Xie Q., Fang Y., Sun L., Wang X., Song S., Zhang H., Journal of Materials Chemistry C, 2025, 13, 1592.
[24] Han X., Zhang L., Zhang R., Wang K., Wang X., Li B., Tao Z., Song S., Zhang H., Dalton Transactions, 2024, 53, 3290.
[25] Liu H., Wang H., Chu X., Wang Z., Li Y., Zhang S., Wang X., Qiao Z., Song S., Zhang H., Dalton Transactions, 2025, 54, 8439.
[26] Wang K., Zhang R., Liu L., Wu X., Xu J., Song S., Zhang H., Wang X., Inorganic Chemistry Frontiers, 2025, 12, 8008.
[27] Xu J., Wang Y., Wang K., Zhao M., Zhang R., Cui W., Liu L., Bootharaju M. S., Kim J. H., Hyeon T., Zhang H., Wang Y., Song S., Wang X., Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2023, 62, e202302877.
[28] Zhang R., Wang X., Wang K., Wang H., Song S., Zhang H., Materials Chemistry Frontiers, 2023, 7, 6411.
[29] Zhao M., Chu X., Wang F., Fang Y., Sun L., Xie Q., Zhang L.-l., Song S., Zhang H., Wang X., Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2024, 146, 33104.
[30] Zhang L., Song S., Zhang H., Wang X., Chemical Society Reviews, 2026, 10.1039/D5CS00020C.
[31] He K., Ding B., Li J., Meng Q., Chen H., Li Z., Zhang J., Ma X., Shao J., Ma P. A., Lin J., Nano Letters, 2025, 25, 10053.
[32] Yadav G., Uekert T., DesVeaux J. S., Van Roijen E. C., Rorrer J. E., Brenner A. E., Drake G., Zichittella G., Carlson N., Román-Leshkov Y., Beckham G. T., Joule, 2026, 102384.
[33] Pereira P., Savage P. E., Pester C. W., ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 2023, 11, 7203.
[34] Yang W., Liu R., Li C., Song Y., Hu C., Waste Management, 2021, 135, 267.
[35] Liu Y., Wang M., Pan Z., The Journal of Supercritical Fluids, 2012, 62, 226.
[36] Umdagas L., Orozco R., Heeley K., Thom W., Al-Duri B., Polymer Degradation and Stability, 2025, 234, 111246.
[37] Martin I. L., Anderson L. B., McAdams D. A., Molloy C., Dunne P. W., Connon S. J., Chemical Communications, 2025, 61, 2750.
[38] Pereira P., Slear W., Guirguis P. M., Savage P. E., Pester C. W., ACS ES&T Engineering, 2025, 5, 1140.
[39] Sun X., Qi H., Jiang Y., Zhao Q., Lu P., Chen S., Xing C., Maturura E., Tsubaki N., Journal of Solid State Chemistry, 2022, 310, 123016.

Co-recycling of Polyethylene Terephthalate and Polylactic Acid by WO₃-loaded S1 Zeolite

Knowledge

Abstract

Cite this article

share this article

References

Related Articles 15

Recommended Articles

Metrics

Comments

[1]	LI Saiya, HOU Qinwen, CHEN Huiping, JIA Yule, ZHANG Dongyang, LIU Yunge, ZHANG Jing, SU Yuan, WANG Dianyu. Anti-fouling Hydrophobic Coatings via Single-step Silane Hydrolysis [J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2025, 41(1): 106-112.
[2]	WANG Yiwen, LIN Lirui, XU Li-Yan, LI En-Min, DONG Geng. Reaction Mechanism of Actin ATP Hydrolysis Studied by QM/MM Calculations [J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2024, 40(5): 849-855.
[3]	DONG Lu, XU Yongkai, ZHANG Yun, SUN Aijun, HU Yunfeng. Enantioselective Resolution of (±)-1-Phenylethyl Acetate by Using the Whole Cells of Deep-sea Bacterium Bacillus sp. DL-2 [J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2019, 35(5): 792-798.
[4]	WANG Yilong, XU Yongkai, ZHANG Yun, SUN Aijun, HU Yunfeng. Utilization of One Novel Microbial Esterase WDEst9 in the Kinetic Resolution of (S)-Methyl 2-chloropropionate and (S)-Ethyl 2-chloropropionate [J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2019, 35(5): 830-836.
[5]	SUN Rui, WANG Ying, GOU Pengfei, ZUO Min, LI Xiaodong, ZHU Weipu, SHEN Zhiquan. Amphiphilic Seven-arm Star Triblock Copolymers with Diverse Morphologies in Aqueous Solution Induced by Crystallization and pH [J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2018, 34(1): 132-137.
[6]	ZHAO Hui, DIAO Quanping, YU Haifeng, LI Tiechun, LIAO Peiqiu, HOU Dongyan. FeCl₃·6H₂O-Catalyzed Synthesis of β-Ketothioesters from Chain α-Oxo Ketene Dithioactals [J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2017, 33(5): 746-752.
[7]	LI Hui, ZOU Huiyuan, LIU Linlin, ZHAO Dongxia, YANG Zhongzhi. Studies on Hydrolysis Mechanism of Anticancer Ruthenium Drug ImH[trans-Ru(Im)₂Cl₄] via ABEEMσπ Polarizable Force Field Combined with QM and MD-FEP [J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2017, 33(2): 239-247.
[8]	ZHU Jian, JIN Zhimin. Efficient Purification of Camptothecin via Aqueous Two-phase System Composed of 1,1,3,3-Tetramethylguanidinium Benzoate Ionic Liquid and K₂CO₃ [J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2016, 32(4): 630-633.
[9]	ZHANG Yanmei, QUAN Chunshan, LIU Baoquan, FAN Shengdi. Facial Preparation of Magnetic Lipase as Efficient Biocatalyst to Resolute Esters Enantioselectively [J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2015, 31(6): 997-1002.
[10]	LI Xiao-tian, ZHAO Ya-jing, JIANG Cheng-fei, ZHANG Han-qi, YU Ai-min. Determination of Amino Acids in Panax notoginseng by Microwave Hydrolysis and Derivatization Coupled with Capillary Zone Electrophoresis Detection [J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2013, 29(3): 434-438.
[11]	Shufeng Si Zhengqiu Ming Guowen Xing Xi Yan. Shape Controlled Preparation, Characterization and Gas Sensitivities of Shuttle-like Cr-doped α-Fe₂O₃ Nanoparticles [J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2012, 28(4): 567-571.
[12]	ZHANG Yu-chi, PI Zi-feng, LIU Chun-ming, SONG Feng-rui, LIU Zhi-qiang, LIU Shu-ying. Analysis of Low-polar Ginsenosides in Steamed Panax Ginseng at High-temperature by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS [J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2012, 28(1): 31-36.
[13]	ZHANG Guo-yan, TAO Jin, ZHENG Liang-yu and CAO Shu-gui*. Molecular Basis for Stereospecific Hydrolysis of Ethyl Mandelate by Thermophilic Esterase [J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2011, 27(5): 841-844.
[14]	SONG Shao-fang* and LUAN Yu-xia. Catalytic Characteristics of Lipase Immobilized in CTAB/TX-100 MBG [J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2010, 26(1): 110-113.
[15]	LI Sheng-yu, HE Da-jun, ZHANG Xu, NI Wei-hua, ZHOU Yi-fa , ZHANG Li-ping. Modification of Sugar Chains in Glycoalkaloids and Variation of Anticancer Activity [J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2007, 23(3): 303-309.