A high-quality hydrogen production strategy from waste plastics through microwave-assisted reactions with heterogeneous bimetallic iron/nickel/cerium catalysts

Waste plastic is one of the most concerned solid waste issues all over the world. Converting waste plastics into high value-added hydrogen (H2) has attracted considerable attention. Herein, we reported on the innovative strategy of producing highly pure (91.5 vol%) H2 from non-recyclable waste plastics through microwave-induced reactions over the iron/nickel nanoparticles supported by cerium oxide with carbon nanotube substrates (Fe/Ni-CeO2 @CNTs). The chemical structure of the catalyst was optimized, and the reaction mechanism of microwave-induced catalytic pyrolysis was also researched. The synergistic effects of dehydrogenation on Fe/Ni bimetallic particles and the reforming reaction induced by CeO2 contributed to the remarkable H2 selectivity and high H2 yield. The catalyst also showed excellent stability and robustness after 5 regeneration cycles. High-valued carbon nanotubes are also generated, achieving nearly zero carbon emission.