A group of Australian researchers demonstrated that discarded plastics can be repurposed and converted into highly valuable carbon materials, capable of contributing to energy and environmental solutions. The The study, published in the scientific journal Nature Communications, opens the way to new forms of addressing two of the world’s biggest challenges: plastic pollution and the energy transition.
The team, based at the University of Adelaide, developed a universal and scalable method that enables upcycling of common plastics — such as PET, PVC, polyethylene and polypropylene, including their blends — transforming them into single-atom catalysts (single-atom catalysts, SACs).
These advanced materials contain isolated metal atoms anchored in a graphene framework, which makes them extremely efficient in chemical reactions. The SACs obtained from plastic waste demonstrated high capacity in the decomposition of micropollutants in water and in the performance of clean energy technologies, such as batteries and fuel cells.
At ANSTO’s Australian Synchrotron, in Melbourne, scientists used X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) to observe the atomic structure of the catalysts. The measurements confirmed that the metals did not form nanoparticles, but were dispersed as isolated atoms, chemically integrated into the carbon matrix — the “secret ingredient” that explains their exceptional performance.
“This project shows how advanced characterization at the Synchrotron enables advances in sustainability,” says Bernt Johannessen, senior scientist at ANSTO and co-author of the study. “By revealing the atomic structure of these new catalysts, we helped to understand why they work so well and how to scale the method,” he adds.
The first author, Shiying Ren, from the University of Adelaide, emphasizes the transformative potential of the research. “Plastics, usually seen as waste and an environmental burden, can actually be a valuable resource for creating advanced catalysts. This approach offers a sustainable path to combat plastic pollution and respond to the demand for new materials,” she explains.
Co-author Associate Professor Xiaoguang Duan highlights the versatility and low cost of the technique. “It works with different types and blends of plastic and generates high-performance catalysts that can be used in water purification, batteries, and much more,” he reveals.
This discovery represents an important step toward a circular economy, giving “a second life” to plastics, transforming them into high-value materials and industrial utility.
In addition to this work, the University of Adelaide team recently published another complementary study in Nature Communications, where it presents a new salt-based strategy to create libraries of catalysts with customized atomic structures — a breakthrough that could revolutionize the development of clean and sustainable technologies.
“This collaboration demonstrates how synchrotron science can accelerate environmental and energy innovation,” says Johannessen. “It is an excellent example of how frontier research directly contributes to real sustainability solutions,” he concludes.
