Research Highlights
Treasuring trash: Pt/SrTiO3 catalysts process plastic waste into high-value materials (Poeppelmeier)The widespread use of single-use plastics is due to their cost-effectiveness, stability, and adaptable properties. Common recycling methods like mechanical recycling and pyrolysis lack precision in turning plastic waste into uniform materials for a circular economy. Catalytic hydrogenolysis, involving breaking polymer bonds using a supported catalyst and hydrogen, holds promise for transforming plastics into valuable products for commercial use. This article highlights progress in polyolefin hydrogenolysis, specifically focusing on Pt nanoparticles on SrTiO3 nanocuboid supports. It delves into current advancements, challenges, and future directions in this field. Matter 6, 1 (2023) |
Spin-Frustrated Trisradical Trication of PrismCage (Stoddart/Wasielewski)
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Metal–Organic Frameworks with a Bioinspired Porous Polymer Coating for Sieving Separation (Farha/Gianneschi) Researchers are exploring polymer and metal-organic framework (MOF) composites, aiming to combine polymer flexibility with MOF crystallinity. Traditional methods involve coating MOFs with polymers, enhancing surface polymer properties but reducing MOF porosity. A new approach introduces a porous synthetic allomelanin (AM) coating on the zirconium-based MOF UiO-66, which preserves MOF porosity while creating core-shell nanoparticles (AM@UiO-66). The strategy is adaptable for larger-pore MOFs, showing promise for hexane separation and storage capacity. This innovative technique holds potential for enhancing MOF-polymer composite properties. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 145, 18402 (2023) |