Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42168224›Full record

ArticleNature communications2026

Interfacial W-O-Zr ensembles in tungstated zirconia catalysts enable efficient hydrogen-free recycling of polypropylene waste.

Sibei Zou, Yuzhen Ge, Patrik O Willi, Javier Fernández-González, Robert N Grass, Wendelin J Stark, Gonzalo Guillén-Gosálbez, Antonio J Martín, Javier Pérez-Ramírez

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Sibei Zou *Institute of Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Yuzhen Ge *Institute of Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2552-376X
Patrik O WilliInstitute of Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Javier Fernández-GonzálezInstitute of Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9715-6981
Robert N GrassInstitute of Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6968-0823
Wendelin J StarkInstitute of Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Gonzalo Guillén-GosálbezInstitute of Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6074-8473
Antonio J MartínInstitute of Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3482-8829
Javier Pérez-RamírezInstitute of Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. jpr@chem.ethz.ch.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5805-7355

Funding

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (Swiss National Science Foundation) 225147
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Polyolefins are essential plastics to modern life yet create mounting sustainability challenges. Chemical recycling technologies are key but often require harsh conditions, costly hydrogen, noble metals, or complex catalysts with challenging design. We report hydrogen- and solvent-free depolymerization of polypropylene consumer goods at 240 °C, achieving >80% yield into gasoline hydrocarbons with stable performance. A library of tungstated zirconia catalysts synthesized by flame spray pyrolysis with controlled tungsten speciation enables correlating performance with the density of W-O-Zr ensembles prevalent in sub-nanoclusters, with W:Zr = 1:9 emerging as optimal. These acid sites formed during reaction mediate internal hydrogen transfer and selective backbone C-C scission, as deduced from operando spectroscopy. Life cycle and technoeconomic studies, benchmarked against hydrotreatment-based recycling in a harmonized framework, indicate competitive environmental and economic advantages. Together, this work establishes this route's promise and underscores the value of precision catalyst synthesis in polyolefin valorization.

Identifiers

PMID42168224
PMCPMC13385888

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.