Scientists turn plastic into valuable chemicals using sunlight and old battery acid

Cambridge researchers developed a sunlight-driven process that turns waste plastics into useful chemical feedstocks.

The method uses recovered sulfuric acid from spent lead-acid batteries plus a cobalt molybdenum sulfide catalyst and carbon nitride.

It converts plastic-derived molecules into anilines from nitroarenes, reaching yields of up to 99%.

The approach could cut emissions, reduce dependence on fossil-fuel hydrogen, and recycle two major waste streams into value.