Public Abstract

DE-SC0021166: Center for Plastics Innovation (CPI)

Award Status: Active

Institution: University Of Delaware, Newark, DE
UEI: T72NHKM259N3
DUNS: 059007500

Most Recent Award Date: 08/07/2025
Number of Support Periods: 6
PM: Gimm, Aura

Current Budget Period: 08/01/2025 - 07/31/2026
Current Project Period: 08/01/2024 - 07/31/2028
PI: Korley, LaShanda

Supplement Budget Period: N/A

Public Abstract

Center for Plastics Innovation LaShanda T.J. Korley, University of Delaware (Director and Lead Principal Investigator) Thomas H. Epps, III, University of Delaware (Deputy Director and Co-Investigator) The Center for Plastics Innovation (CPI) will deliver disruptive, transformative, and foundational solutions to realize more sustainable plastics throughout their life cycle. Its mission is to develop energy-efficient, selective, and tolerant chemo- and bio-catalytic and synthetic pathways to valorize diverse plastics waste streams and dramatically increase circularity. CPI will tackle distinct challenges across the entire plastics life cycle, including the complexity of plastics waste; unfavorable bond energetics for plastics deconstruction; underwhelming selectivity and efficiency of common valorization routes; poorly understood polymer-catalyst interactions; and underdefined correlations between performance and circularity metrics. We will explore deconstruction routes that synergize chemical and enzymatic approaches to produce building blocks from heteroatomic polymers; define pathways to enable tailored deconstruction of waste streams with compositional complexity; and employ methods to impart selective sites for degradation, all to nucleate a paradigm shift in the plastics life cycle via detailed mechanistic understanding. Additionally, we will develop cross-cutting platforms and tools to enable plastics circularity that will have long-lasting influence on plastics design, manufacturing, processing, and (re)use. Moreover, the coupling of experiments, modeling, artificial intelligence, polymer chemistry/engineering, and life-cycle analysis/technoeconomic assessment will define new frontiers in trainee development with direct impacts on sustainable manufacturing. Furthermore, these research innovations will provide a platform to foster belonging, leadership, access, and inclusivity through community-building activities, active mentoring and outreach, and professional development programming. We will realize our vision through the close collaboration between researchers at the University of Delaware, University of Chicago, University of Pennsylvania, University of Florida, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory in three thrusts: (1) functional deconstruction of non-polyolefins; (2) recycling and upcycling of complex plastics waste streams; and (3) circular-by-design polymers.

Center for Plastics Innovation

LaShanda T.J. Korley, University of Delaware (Director and Lead Principal Investigator)

Thomas H. Epps, III, University of Delaware (Deputy Director and Co-Investigator)

The Center for Plastics Innovation (CPI) will deliver disruptive, transformative, and foundational solutions to realize more sustainable plastics throughout their life cycle. Its mission is to develop energy-efficient, selective, and tolerant chemo- and bio-catalytic and synthetic pathways to valorize diverse plastics waste streams and dramatically increase circularity. CPI will tackle distinct challenges across the entire plastics life cycle, including the complexity of plastics waste; unfavorable bond energetics for plastics deconstruction; underwhelming selectivity and efficiency of common valorization routes; poorly understood polymer-catalyst interactions; and underdefined correlations between performance and circularity metrics. We will explore deconstruction routes that synergize chemical and enzymatic approaches to produce building blocks from heteroatomic polymers; define pathways to enable tailored deconstruction of waste streams with compositional complexity; and employ methods to impart selective sites for degradation, all to nucleate a paradigm shift in the plastics life cycle via detailed mechanistic understanding. Additionally, we will develop cross-cutting platforms and tools to enable plastics circularity that will have long-lasting influence on plastics design, manufacturing, processing, and (re)use. Moreover, the coupling of experiments, modeling, artificial intelligence, polymer chemistry/engineering, and life-cycle analysis/technoeconomic assessment will define new frontiers in trainee development with direct impacts on sustainable manufacturing. Furthermore, these research innovations will provide a platform to foster belonging, leadership, access, and inclusivity through community-building activities, active mentoring and outreach, and professional development programming. We will realize our vision through the close collaboration between researchers at the University of Delaware, University of Chicago, University of Pennsylvania, University of Florida, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory in three thrusts: (1) functional deconstruction of non-polyolefins; (2) recycling and upcycling of complex plastics waste streams; and (3) circular-by-design polymers.