On August 1st, 2024, our colleagues from RWTH Aachen University, attended the Gordon Research Conference in Castelldefels (Spain). The event brought together experts and researchers from around the world to discuss the latest developments in green chemistry.

There, Sonja Herres-Pawlist gave a presentation about its work in the UPLIFT project in the framework of metal guanidine catalysts enabling a circular economy for bioplastics. Guanidine zinc and iron complexes are highly active and versatile catalysts for the ring-opening polymerisation of cyclic esters as well as the open-loop and closed-loop recycling of polyesters. The goal of the UPLIFT project is the upscaling of the polymerisation and depolymerisation processes. Here, the environmentally benign catalayts play a key role.