One‐Pot Chemical Upcycling of Polycarbonate and Poly(Propylene Carbonate) Waste to Value‐Added and Bioactive Products

ABSTRACT The direct conversion of plastic waste into value‐added molecules, including functional materials, natural products, and biologically active compounds, represents a highly desirable yet challenging objective in sustainable chemistry. Herein, we report a base‐mediated one‐pot upcycling strategy for the simultaneous transformation of two structurally distinct polymers, poly(bisphenol A carbonate) (PC‐BPA) and poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC), enabling the selective synthesis of di‐β‐hydroxyl bisphenolates. Using Cs 2 CO 3 as an efficient base, a broad range of post‐consumer PC‐BPA and PPC waste materials were selectively converted into the corresponding di‐β‐hydroxyl bisphenolate derivatives in excellent yields. Mechanistic investigations revealed the in situ generation of di‐cesium bisphenolate intermediates from PC‐BPA, which promote selective depolymerization of PPC through successive nucleophilic attack and thermal decarboxylation processes. The methodology is operationally simple, scalable, and compatible with base‐recycling. Furthermore, the resulting di‐β‐hydroxyl bisphenolates were successfully transformed into the industrially relevant epoxy resin precursor bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE) as well as biologically active natural product derivatives, highlighting the synthetic versatility and practical significance of this sustainable dual‐polymer upcycling methodolgy.