Microwave‐assisted co‐conversion of waste plastic and <scp> CO ₂ </scp> to syngas over reconstructed <scp>ZnO</scp> – <scp>

Abstract

Chemical recycling offers an efficient pathway for upcycling waste plastics into high‐value resources, although it is still facing challenges. Herein, we demonstrate microwave‐assisted synergistic conversion of waste plastics and CO 2 into syngas over ZnFe 2 O 4 /SiC, which undergoes reconstruction into ZnO–Fe 3 C/SiC. SiC converts microwave energy into heat and transfers it directly to the catalytic layer, enabling polyethylene to generate hydrogen and carbon species. Fe 3 C acts as a dynamic carbon reservoir for capturing and transferring carbon species. Meanwhile, CO 2 dissociates on the ZnO surface to form CO and oxygen species. The oxygen species further combine with the carbon species provided by Fe 3 C to generate additional CO, thereby achieving in situ carbon elimination and catalyst self‐stabilization. This work presents a microwave‐assisted strategy that couples plastic valorization with CO 2 utilization, offering new insights into sustainable syngas production from carbon‐containing waste.