Current technologies face challenges in efficiently recovering monomeric building blocks from polyurethane (PU) waste, hindering circular economy goals. Here, the authors introduce an ionolysis-based recycling method using 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide (EMIM-Br) as a bifunctional solvent-catalyst, achieving a 94% depolymerization yield and producing high-quality polyols, enabling the creation of flexible PU foams by incorporation of recycled polyol.
- Sajid Hussain
- Gabriele Rossignolo
- Alessandra Lorenzetti