FEATURE
Researchers develop an efficient, low-energy method for upcycling plastic
waste into valuable molecules, creating a second life for waste plastics.
GROUP MEMBERS
Danny Zeng
Yu-Hsuan Lee
Dr. Mahdi Abu-Omar
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RESEARCH
IN THE NEWS
UCSB researchers have discovered a new catalytic route to transform waste plastic to valuable products via tandem hydrogenolysis/aromatization. Compared with conventional methods that require high temperatures (between 500 and 1000°C) to break down the polymer chains into smaller hydrocarbon molecules, the newly developed method converts polyethylene under relatively mild conditions (ca. 300°C) over a platinum on alumina (Pt/Al2O3) catalyst without the need for added hydrogen or solvent. Hydrogen generated in the reaction from aromatization serves to cut the polymer chains, making the overall transformation thermodynamically accessible despite the moderate reaction temperature. As a result, long-chain alkylaromatics are formed in high yields directly from waste hydrocarbon polymers. These products are widely used in solvents, paints, lubricants, detergents, pharmaceuticals, and many other industrial and consumer products.
ABOUT
Our research group works at the interface of chemistry and chemical engineering. We create the science for providing renewable and recyclable alternatives to materials made from petro-chemicals. Polymers have provided humanity with tremendous benefits from food preservation through packaging to impressive fuel efficiency because of light weight advantage. However, a growing plastics waste problem is requiring creative chemistry to provide recyclable materials and chemical upcycling of currently in use plastics, polyolefins.
A common theme in our research group is catalyst design based onunderstanding of mechanisms on the molecular scale. Graduate students and postdocs in the group are given the freedom to tailor their own projects and are encouraged to collaborate with faculty and peers in other research groups on campus with whom we share common scientific interests.
RESEARCH GROUP
MEET THE TEAM
MAHDI
ABU-OMAR
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
B.S. summa cum laude Hampden-Sydney College
Ph.D. Iowa State University with James Espenson
Postdoc California Institute of Technology with Harry Gray
BAOYUAN
LIU
GRADUATE
STUDENT
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Focus:
Metal catalysis (such as Ni, Ru, and Pd) and their use in non-food biomass conversion of green chemistry
DANNY
ZENG
GRADUATE
STUDENT
Gettysburg College
Focus:
Converting low-value waste polymers such as polyethylene and polypropylene into high-value chemicals
DINGYUAN
LIM
UNDERGRADUATE
STUDENT
UC Santa Barbara
Focus:
Polymer Upcycling
JUSTIN
MARLOWE
GRADUATE
STUDENT
Rutgers University
Focus:
Catalytic Hydrodeoxygenation of Biomass
KELSEY RICHARDSON
GRADUATE
STUDENT
University of Texas
Austin
Focus:
Simulation of Polymer Upcycling
KITTY
MA
UNDERGRADUATE
STUDENT
UC Santa Barbara
Focus:
Catalytic sugar alcohol conversion and kinetic modeling
MELISSA
SANCHEZ
GRADUATE
STUDENT
CSU Fresno
Focus:
Biomass conversion
YU-HSUAN
LEE
GRADUATE
STUDENT
Purdue University
Focus:
Study and application of Rhenium PNN catalyst
ZACH
WESTMAN
GRADUATE
STUDENT
University of Arizona
Focus:
Chemical Upcycling
of Plastics
JACK
HOPPER
GRADUATE
STUDENT
Louisiana State University
Focus:
Heterogeneous catalysis of biomass-derived sugar alcohols
JOSHUA
SPEER
GRADUATE
STUDENT
Ithaca College
Focus:
Designing bimetallic pincers complexes for catalysis