Solar-driven degradation of encapsulated polyurethane adhesives in aluminum-plastic laminates via MXene-enhanced ternary heterojunction Photocatalysis

Degradation of polyurethane (PU) adhesives is critical for enabling the recycling of aluminum-plastic (A-P) laminate films for flexible packaging. This work develops a novel MXene-enhanced ternary heterojunction that achieves non-contact sunlight-driven degradation of encapsulated PU adhesives. Synthesized through electrostatic self-assembly of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and 2D titania carbide (Ti3C2Tx-MXene) followed by in-situ thermal polymerization of porous carbon nitride (g-C3N4), the catalyst leverages sunlight penetration through transparent packgng layers to selectively target interfacial adhesives. Crucially, the existence of Ti3C2Tx enhances charge separation and interfacial transfer, enabling efficient adhesive decomposition without physical contact. Experimental validation confirms effective degradation of packaging-simulated PU adhesives under natural sunlight irradiation.