Design and synthesis of functional materials by chemical recycling of waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic: Opportunities and challenges

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a mass-produced plastic material widely used for the manufacturing of bottles, textile fibers, and other products. The mismanaged plastic problem and the associated environmental pollution urge the development of waste plastic utilization methods based on mechanical, chemical, and energy recycling. Basic technologic processes of PET chemical recycling, that have been established decades ago, were substantially extended by recent efforts of chemists and chemical engineers toward new materials based on PET-derived traditional as well as novel chemical feedstocks. This review summarizes and systematizes reported approaches and recycling protocols for waste PET conversion into functional materials based on PET-derived chemical feedstocks and gives an overview of their application fields.