University of Adelaide Maps Pathway for Converting Plastic Waste Into Hydrogen Fuel Using Sunlight

Researchers at the University of Adelaide published a comprehensive roadmap in Chem Catalysis (DOI: 10.1016/j.checat.2026.101746) for converting waste plastics into clean hydrogen fuel and valuable chemicals using solar-driven photoreforming. The process uses light-activated photocatalysts to break plastic's carbon-hydrogen bonds at relatively low temperatures, producing hydrogen, syngas, acetic acid, and diesel-range hydrocarbons. Unlike water splitting, plastic-based photoreforming is more efficient because plastics are easier to oxidize. Some systems have operated continuously for over 100 hours. With over 460 million tonnes of plastic produced annually, the approach addresses both plastic pollution and clean energy transition simultaneously.