Combining organic and inorganic wastes to form metal-organic frameworks

This paper reports a simple method to recycle plastic-bottle and Li-ion-battery waste in one process by forming valuable coordination polymers (metal-organic frameworks, MOFs). Poly(ethylene terephthalate) from plastic bottles was depolymerized to produce an organic ligand source (terephthalate), and Li-ion batteries were dissolved as a source of metals. By mixing both dissolution solutions together, selective precipitation of an Al-based MOF, known as MIL-53 in the literature, was observed. This material can be recovered in large quantities from waste and presents similar properties of purity and porosity to as-synthesis MIL-53. This work illustrates the opportunity to form hybrid porous materials by combining different waste streams, laying the foundations for an achievable integrated circular economy from different waste cycle treatments (for batteries and plastics).