A General Approach for Photo‐Oxidative Degradation of Various Polymers

The escalating demand for plastics has resulted in a surge of plastic waste worldwide, posing a monumental environmental challenge. To address this issue, a versatile photo‐oxidative degradation method applicable to seven distinct polymer families is proposed, comprising poly(isobutyl vinyl ether) (PIBVE), poly(2,3‐dihydrofuran) (PDHF), poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc), poly(n‐butyl acrylate) (PBA), poly(methyl acrylate) (PMA), poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), poly(dimethyl acrylamide) (PDMA), poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), poly(oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether acrylate) (PEGMEA), and even poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). This method employs photo‐mediated hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) followed by oxidation to promote polymer degradation. This reaction is carried out under aerobic condition in the presence of iron trichloride (FeCl3) as a photocatalyst in combination with low‐intensity purple light irradiation. The process can degrade up to 97% of the polymer in less than 3 h. This degradation process can be easily controlled by switching the light off, which allows for precise modulation of the degradation rate, enhancing the effectiveness of the method. Overall, this method provides a sustainable method for degrading various polymer types with low energy input. The escalating demand for plastics has increased global plastic waste, threatening the environment. This work introduces an innovative photo‐oxidative degradation method capable of breaking down a wide range of polymers. This approach utilizes photo‐mediated hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) followed by oxidation to efficiently degrade plastics, and remarkably, this process can be carried out under simple conditions using sunlight and air at room temperature.