Waste material turned into high-performance structure with new method

Researchers at Adelaide University have developed a simple, scalable method to convert persistent plastic waste—including PET, PVC, polyethylene, polypropylene, and their mixtures—into high-performance single-atom catalysts (SACs). These SACs consist of isolated metal atoms anchored within a graphene substrate, which exhibit exceptional catalytic activity in breaking down micropollutants in water and enhancing clean energy technologies such as batteries and fuel cells. The team used advanced X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) at the Australian Synchrotron to confirm the atomic-scale structure of these catalysts, revealing that the metals remain dispersed as single atoms rather than forming nanoparticles, a key factor in their superior performance. The process employs lamellar transition metal chloride salts (Ni, Fe, Co, Mn, Cu) as templates and catalysts to facilitate confined carbonization of plastics into layered SACs, with precise plastic-to-salt ratios preventing metal agglomeration. Published in Nature Communications, the study highlights the versatility and efficiency of this approach in up