Liquid alloy driven ambient upcycling of fluoropolymer waste

The chemical upcycling of fluoropolymer waste, particularly polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), has been severely hampered by the harsh thermal conditions required to cleave the highly stable carbon–fluorine (C–F) bonds. Here, we report a contact-electro-catalytic induced self-propagating reactions (CEC-SPR) strategy that enables efficient cleavage of the robust C–F bonds in PTFE under ambient conditions. By employing a highly reactive NaK alloy, which reacts with PTFE through the exothermic Wurtz defluorination reaction, we facilitate the chemical recycling of PTFE into fluorine-doped carbon materials and metal fluorides at room temperature. Our results provide a new conceptual strategy for the upcycling of PTFE plastic waste into functionally useful carbon materials and inorganic fluoride products.