01/23/2025
By Zhiyong Gu
Dr. Pavel Kots, assistant professor, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the New York University Tandon School of Engineering, will give a seminar titled, "Repurposing Old Catalytic Chemistry to Solve Sustainability Challenges and Transform Plastic Waste to Value."
Time: January 30, 2025; 3:30-4:45 p.m.
Location: Shah Hall 303
Abstract:
Plastic – a most important material of our time – has become indispensable in modern life. It is valued for its affordability, versatility and low-energy consumption compare to analogs. However, multiple incentives drive plastic deployment in short lifetime applications, such as single-use packaging, leading to massive waste accumulation on landfills and plastic breakthrough into the environment. Continuing acceleration of plastic production without better end-of-life management strategy will result in unprecedented levels of plastic pollution by the mid-century.
Catalytic upcycling presents an innovative approach to addressing hard-to-recycle plastic waste, particularly polyolefins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, by enabling more energy- and resource-efficient processing pathways. Despite their potential, catalysis-based processes face significant hurdles, including the sheer volume of plastic waste and the complexity of its composition, since majority of post-consumer plastic is mixed with additives, contaminants and multilayered materials.
This presentation covers the latest developments in heterogeneous catalysis for the hydroconversion of polyolefins. It highlights how innovations in catalyst design, such as active site engineering and intricate catalyst architectures, can enhance both productivity and selectivity. Furthermore, it explores how process and reactor design can address the challenges of handling real-world plastic waste streams.
Biography:
Pavel Kots is an assistant professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at New York University Tandon School of Engineering. His research group develops new pathways to convert plastic waste into valuable products using advanced catalysts and new reactor designs concepts. He earned his Ph.D. in physical chemistry from Moscow State University, working in new zeolite materials for adsorption and catalysis applications. Before NYU, he was a postdoctoral fellow at University of Delaware and process development engineer at Evonik Global Process Research, where he focused on scale-up of new specialty chemicals products.