Converting Nylon Microplastic Waste to Value by Amphiphilic Lewis-Acid Surfactant Catalysis.

Abstract

Microplastics are pervasive pollutants that accumulate across environmental compartments and resist degradation under environmentally relevant conditions. Polyamide-based microplastics, particularly Nylons, are among the most persistent classes due to their densely hydrogen-bonded amide backbones, which limit accessibility and hinder degradation in aqueous environments. Existing purification approaches typically rely on energy-intensive thermal processes, harsh chemical conditions, or slow biological pathways. Here, we show that a surfactant catalyst comprising a ligand-Sc3+ complex as a Lewis-acidic headgroup can decompose nylon microplastics into their monomers, which may be returned to the chemical value chain. The comparison to non-amphiphilic reference catalysts proves that the surfactant character is a decisive factor, as it ensures that the catalytic core is in close proximity to the polymer chain. The surfactant catalyst removes microplastic particles from an aqueous environment, which was shown for Nylon-6, Nylon-6.6, and Nylon-12. The sustainability of the process is further improved because the surfactant catalyst can be isolated without losing any scandium and then reused.

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