Synergistic Co-Conversion of PVC/Cotton Textile to Phthalic Acid and Sorbitol over a Ru/TiO2 Catalyst

Discarded PVC/cotton waterproof materials pose a significant challenge for sustainable recycling due to the release of corrosive HCl and the formation of sintered carbonaceous residues during conventional thermal processing. Here, we report a synergistic catalytic strategy for the co-conversion of PVC/cotton-based waste into value-added chemicals under mild hydrothermal conditions. Initially, Ru/TiO 2 catalyzes the dehydrochlorination of PVC at 190 ° C; the In Situ-generated HCl serves as a Brønsted acid catalyst to hydrolyze cellulose to glucose, followed by hydrogenation to sorbitol in 61.4% yield. The resulting dehydrochlorinated PVC residue undergoes oxidative aromatization to yield aromatic carboxylic acid, with a liquid product yield of 19.5% and a phthalic acid selectivity of 63.7%. Density functional theory calculations attribute the efficient dechlorination to Ru(1015) sites, which lower the activation energy for HCl elimination by 18.76 kJ mol −1 . This catalytic system demonstrates tolerance toward real-world waste composite materials and establishes a novel pathway for the integrated upcycling of halogenated plastics and lignocellulosic biomass. Life-cycle assessment shows 97% lower global warming potential than incineration, advancing resource circularity and sustainable waste management.