Dr. Yimin Wu and PhD student Wei Wei, in mechanical and mechatronics engineering, are turning plastic waste into acetic acid, a main ingredient of vinegar, using sunlight as a natural resource.
Plastic waste, and most notably microplastics, has been found across many ecosystems, posing a threat to marine life and human health.
The team has found a solution to protect marine life and human health and developed a cascade photocatalysis system by embedding iron atoms in carbon nitride. When bio-inspired cascade photocatalysis is exposed to sunlight, it initiates numerous chemical reactions that convert plastic polymers into acetic acid. The reaction happens in water, which is important for addressing plastic pollution in aquatic environments.
Acetic acid is commonly used in food production, chemical manufacturing, and energy applications, and can be produced from common plastic waste. It remains effective across mixed plastic compositions, making the approach ideal for real-world waste streams and an alternative to plastic incineration.
Overall, the team hopes that this approach can be adapted for environmental cleanup, solar-driven recycling and the photocatalytic upcycling system, and that it can be further enhanced through strategic engineering of manufacturing processes and materials.
Learn more about this project by visiting Waterloo researchers turning plastic waste into vinegar in Waterloo News.