One-Step Synthesis\nof PtPb Alloy Nanoparticles Via\nWet Chemical Method for the Upgraded Recycling of PLA Plastic

Biodegradable plastics such as polylactic acid (PLA)\nhave been\nextensively applied in numerous fields. Although PLA is degradable\nin natural environments, its decomposition postdisposal leads to resource\nwastage. Herein, we first employ enzymatic hydrolysis to degrade PLA.\nSubsequently, PtPb alloy nanoparticles are synthesized in a single\nstep via a wet chemical method, catalyzing the reformation of the\nPLA enzymatic hydrolysis products into higher-value chemicals (pyruvic\nacid). Under conditions of an oxygen flow rate of 60 mL/min, a reaction\ntemperature of 90 °C, and a reaction duration of 60 min, the\nconversion rate of lactic acid catalytic oxidative dehydrogenation\nto pyruvic acid reaches an impressive 96.86%, with a selectivity of\n95.69%. Moreover, this catalyst exhibits satisfactory stability. Experimental\nand density functional theory (DFT) calculations are combined to ascertain\nthe active state changes of PtPb and the reaction pathways for the\ncatalytic oxidative dehydrogenation of lactic acid to pyruvic acid,\nas well as the free energy changes of different catalysts in this\ntransformation. In this work, we employ a simple synthetic strategy\nto specifically investigate the impact of PtPb alloy nanoparticles\nunder various conditions on the catalytic oxidative dehydrogenation\nof lactic acid to pyruvic acid, offering a new research avenue for\nthe waste treatment and resource utilization of biodegradable plastics\nin the future.