Transforming Waste into Value: Advances in Polymer Upcycling Chemistry for a Sustainable Future
A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Circular and Green Sustainable Polymer Science".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2026 | Viewed by 19
Special Issue Editor
Interests: polymers; plastics; polymer chemistry; polymer upcycling; bond activation; catalysis; heterogeneous catalysis; homogeneous catalysis; EPR spectroscopy; inorganic chemistry; organometallic chemistry; surface organometallic chemistry; organolanthanide chemistry; NMR spectroscopy
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Polymer upcycling is a powerful tool for converting discarded plastics into high-value materials and chemicals, thus addressing the increasing environmental challenges presented by plastic pollution. While conventional recycling often results in material downcycling, upcycling offers the opportunity to enhance the performance, extend the lifecycle, and unlock new functionalities of materials through targeted chemical transformations. This Special Issue aims to highlight recent breakthroughs in polymer upcycling chemistry, including catalytic depolymerization, selective bond activation, and innovative monomer recovery techniques. These advances not only serve to mitigate plastic pollution but also create pathways for sustainable manufacturing, carbon footprint reduction, and integration into circular economy models. The featured studies will cover applications in materials science, energy storage, biomedicine, and commodity chemicals, underscoring the multidisciplinary impact of this rapidly evolving field. By reimagining plastic waste as a resource, polymer upcycling chemistry can facilitate the move towards a more resilient and sustainable materials future.
Dr. Uddhav Kanbur
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
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Keywords
- polymer chemistry
- polymer upcycling
- polymer functionalization
- polymer compatibilization
- catalytic depolymerization
- C-H bond activation
- C-C bond activation
- β-alkyl elimination
- hydrogenolysis
- pyrolysis
- functional materials
- catalysis
- heterogeneous catalysis
- plastics recycling
- chemical recycling
- biodegradable polymers
- plastics
- circular economy
- plastic waste
- sustainability
- green chemistry
- value-added materials
- materials characterization
- operando spectroscopy
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