Activating Molybdenum Peroxide Scissors for Converting Polyamide Plastic into Low Carbon Alcohols

Direct chemical conversion of plastic waste into low-carbon oxygenates, rather than carbon dioxide, with renewable energy, is important yet challenging. Due to high C─X (X═C, H, N) bond energy, fully optimized catalysts are required to enable precise bond cleavage for boosted efficiency and selectivity. Here, adaptable and recyclable molybdenum peroxide photocatalysts that demonstrate chemical scissors for the selective conversion of polyamide to alcohols are reported. It shows that dimensionally adaptable Mo(+5.8)-(O₂) is activated via a ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) process for localized catalysis to precisely cleave C─X bonds into C₂ and C₁ alcohols. The additional hydrogen peroxide facilitates the activation and regeneration of the catalytic scissors. These scissors ultimately cut PA6 into methanol with an efficiency of 2.55 mmol L^-1 h^-1 and a selectivity of 82.4 %. This work provides insights into the role of adaptable metal peroxides in precisely cutting C─X bonds, which benefits chemical conversion of plastic wastes.