Liang Li, Jie Li, Mengyuan Jiang, Liuyi Lu, Yanyan Shan, Xiaojun Wang, Luoxin Wang, Hua Wang, Qingquan Tang*, Jiang Gong*

Upcycling waste polyphenylene sulfide into microporous carbons with high yields for producing freshwater and electricity

Chemical Engineering Journal (2026) Accept. (IF2025 = 13.2)

Polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), as a super engineering plastic, is widely used and generates substantial waste annually. Its rich aromatic rings and sulfur elements can cause significant pollution during traditional treatment methods such as direct incineration or landfilling, however, there is little research on their recycling and reuse so far. Herein, the carbonization of waste PPS via 8 kinds of transition metals was systematically investigated and the as-prepared carbons show promising applications in freshwater and electricity co-generation through the highly efficient solar-to-steam capability. CeCl₃ was demonstrated to be the best catalyst activity for waste PPS, producing microporous carbons with the highest specific surface areas of 472.4 m² g^-1 and a relatively high yield of 51.9%. They were used to prepare solar steam evaporators, achieving an outstanding water evaporation rate of 2.08 kg m^-2 h^-1, a solar to steam efficiency of 94.5%, and an electricity generation capacity of 0.78 W m^-2 under 1 kW m^-2 solar light irradiation. This research not only offers a viable method for the sustainable transformation of waste PPS into valuable carbon substances, but also highlights the promise of microporous carbons for use in solar-powered freshwater and electricity production.