# Single-atom iron catalyst converts 97% of polyolefins to C6–C35 liquids in kilogram-scale pyrolysis

- Published: 2026-11-07 19:52 UTC
- Section: Planet › Ecology & recycling
- Tags: chemical recycling, polyolefin pyrolysis, Fe1@NC catalyst, single-atom iron catalyst, liquid hydrocarbons, plastic waste upcycling, N-doped porous carbon, ZIF-derived catalyst
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-90b1a15c00e76cded098c9cc_single_atom_iron/

**Pyrolysis over an Fe1@NC catalyst with temperature gradient control gave a 94% yield of liquid hydrocarbons from polyolefins, the authors report; the process was run at kilogram scale.**

![Single-atom iron catalyst converts 97% of polyolefins to C6–C35 liquids in kilogram-scale pyrolysis](https://realtech.media/media/2026/11/bb7cb8b4b8d77a78.jpg)
*Ehsan Naderi Kalali, Saeid Lotfian, Marjan Entezar Shabestari, Saber Khayatzadeh, Chengsho, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0*

A paper in Science Advances describes an iron-catalyzed pyrolysis process for polyolefins (PO). According to the authors, it reaches 97% PO conversion and a 94% yield of liquid hydrocarbons in the C6 to C35 range [1]. The catalyst is an iron single-atom catalyst on N-doped porous carbon derived from a zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF), designated Fe1@NC. It is used together with temperature gradient control [1].

The authors also ran the process on a kilogram scale, which they say supports practical scalability [1]. They name high energy demand and poor product selectivity as the barriers that have kept pyrolysis of polyolefins from industrial implementation [1].

Mechanistic studies indicate that the rate-determining step is an acid base–promoted dehydrogenation of the polymer backbone [1]. Electronic synergy between the single iron centers and the carbon support stabilizes reactive carbocation intermediates, which then decompose rapidly into olefins and alkanes [1]. The authors describe the result as a framework for converting plastic waste into liquid hydrocarbon fractions and chemical feedstocks [1].

## Sources

1. [Science Advances](https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aeh0938)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-90b1a15c00e76cded098c9cc_single_atom_iron/