From waste to wealth: Silicon upcycling for sustainable palladium nanoparticle catalysts in cross-coupling reaction

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Chinese explanation / 中文解读

中文解读待补充：本站会优先为光伏效率、钙钛矿太阳能电池、储能技术、太阳能热利用、BIPV、并网技术等高价值论文补充中文说明。

Original abstract

In the catalytic sector, noble-metal catalysts supported on activated carbon constitute a significant market segment. However, current research is increasingly focused on identifying alternative supports derived from waste streams that are competitive with this universally established material. Silicon accounts for more than 3.65 wt% of each photovoltaic module, and the global volume of End-of-Life (EoL) photovoltaic (PV) modules is projected to reach approximately 78 million tonnes by 2050. Consequently, the upcycling of this high-value material is becoming urgent, particularly given the substantial environmental and economic burdens associated with producing solar-grade silicon. In this context, we propose a widely available, locally accessible, and potentially photovoltaic-waste-derived silicon-based heterogeneous support capable of retaining palladium nanoparticles (Pd/Si) as a promising alternative to conventional carbonaceous supports. The resulting catalyst was evaluated in C–C bond formation through the Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reaction, a benchmark methodology for the synthesis of high-value biaryl compounds. This waste-to-wealth approach aims to valorize the substantial embedded value of silicon originally manufactured for photovoltaic applications while reducing dependence on activated carbon as a catalyst support. To assess the sustainability of this strategy, a life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted to elucidate the advantages and challenges of using silicon recovered from EoL photovoltaic modules, compared with metallurgical-grade silicon, solar-grade silicon, and activated carbon supports reported in the literature.

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