A sustainable approach for polyethylene terephthalate waste valorization: optimization and mechanistic study of glycolysis using Zn(OAc)2·2H2O/urea deep eutectic solvent

Abstract The chemical recycling of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) via glycolysis is a promising pathway for the circular economy; however, it often requires harsh conditions or expensive catalysts. This study investigates the depolymerization of waste PET using ethylene glycol (EG) mediated by a deep eutectic solvent (DES) synthesized from zinc acetate dihydrate (Zn(OAc)2·2H2O) and urea. The formation of the DES via hydrogen bonding was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared analysis. Experim