Reductive catalytic upcycling of polyethylene using 2-propanol as transfer hydrogen-donor source.

The reductive upcycling of polyethylene (PE) promoted by a commercial Ru/Al2O3 catalyst under an inert atmosphere in the presence of hydrogen-donor alcohols is reported. Among the alcohols tested, 2-propanol (2-PrOH) enabled the highest PE conversion (65%) indicating that external molecular hydrogen is not required under the applied conditions. The process affords high selectivity toward C12-C20 liquid hydrocarbons with minimal gas formation. This previously unexplored approach applies transfer-hydrogenation concepts from biomass valorization to polyolefin upgrading, enabling efficient depolymerization without external molecular hydrogen.