Chemical recycling of polyester wastes is crucial for sustainability, offering access to oxygen-containing chemicals. This study introduces anatase TiO2 supported Ru and Mo dual-atom catalysts, achieving 100% selective transformation of various polyesters into diols via hydrolysis and hydrogenation in water under mild conditions (160 °C, 4 MPa). The catalysts feature Ru single-atom and O-bridged Ru and Mo dual-atom sites. Ru single-atom sites activate H2 for carboxylic acid hydrogenation, while Ru-O-Mo sites suppress alcohol hydrodeoxygenation. The catalyst is regenerable with high activity and stability, providing an effective method for reconstructing polyester waste into valuable diols.

Minhao Tang, Ji Shen, Yiding Wang, Yanfei Zhao, Tao Gan, Xusheng Zheng, Dingsheng Wang, Buxing Han, Zhimin Liu