Upcycling plastics into liquid energy carriers

Scientists from #NTUsg have discovered a process that turns most plastics into valuable chemical starting materials using light, all under room temperature. This new method uses light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and a commercially available vanadium catalyst to break down the inert carbon-carbon bonds in plastics. Current methods to #recycle plastics use a high temperature process to melt and degrade the plastics into low quality fuels, carbon nanotubes and hydrogen. By using #energyefficient #LED technology, this new light-driven method will require less energy. This innovation has the potential to help Singapore reduce the amount of plastic #waste that needs to be incinerated or dumped in the Semakau landfill, the latter of which is estimated to run out of space by 2035.