Solar-Driven Upcycling of Polylactic Acid to Alanine over Pt/CdS-TiO2 Heterojunction Single-Atom Photocatalyst

  • Zhanghui Xia
  • , Longfei Lin
  • , Xiao Chen
  • , Jianxin Zhai
  • , Cheng Xue
  • , Shuaiqiang Jia
  • , Jiapeng Jiao
  • , Mengke Dong
  • , Wanying Han
  • , Xinrui Zheng
  • , Ting Deng
  • , Xinyu Zou
  • , Chensheng Xian
  • , Haihong Wu
  • , Buxing Han

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The application of solar photocatalysis under mild conditions offers a promising approach to mitigating plastic pollution. In this study, a Pt single-atom catalyst (Pt SAs) supported on a CdS-TiO2 heterojunction (CTA) was synthesized to enable the efficient one-pot conversion of polylactic acid (PLA) into the high-value chemical alanine via integrated depolymerization, oxidation, ammonification, and reduction reactions. The Pt SAs-CTA catalyst achieved an outstanding alanine production rate of 12.1 mmol gcat-1 h-1. Structural and optical characterizations, along with theoretical calculations, reveal that a two-channel electron transfer mechanism (TCETM) synergistically promotes charge separation and transport while suppressing electron-hole recombination, thereby enhancing the redox capability of the photocatalyst. Moreover, Pt SAs-CTA also exhibits excellent performance in the conversion of commercial-grade PLA under solar-simulated irradiation. This work elucidates the atomic-level charge dynamics of Pt single atoms in heterojunction photocatalysis and offers a viable strategy for upcycling plastic waste into value-added chemicals.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)45357-45365
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of the American Chemical Society
Volume147
Issue number49
DOIs
StatePublished - 10 Dec 2025

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