Researchers Turn Plastic Waste and Battery Acid Into Clean Hydrogen

A new sunlight-activated reactor developed at the University of Cambridge can profitably convert plastic waste and discarded car battery acid into clean hydrogen fuel.

Apr. 10, 2026 at 4:04am

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An abstract, highly structured painting in soft, earthy tones of green, brown, and blue, featuring sweeping geometric arcs, concentric circles, and precise botanical spirals, conceptually representing the complex chemical reactions and scientific forces at work in a new reactor that recycles plastic waste and battery acid into clean hydrogen.A new sunlight-powered reactor developed at the University of Cambridge can profitably convert plastic waste and discarded car battery acid into clean hydrogen fuel and valuable chemical byproducts.Cambridge Today

Scientists at the University of Cambridge have developed a new sunlight-activated reactor that uses plastic waste and recycled car battery acid to produce clean hydrogen fuel, while also generating valuable byproducts like terephthalic acid and acetic acid. The process is designed to be profitable at commercial scale, providing a potential solution to deal with growing plastic waste while creating renewable energy.

Why it matters

Plastic production has skyrocketed in recent decades, with the majority of plastic waste ending up in landfills or the ocean. Current recycling methods have limitations, so finding new ways to repurpose plastic waste is crucial. This new reactor provides a promising approach that not only tackles plastic pollution, but also generates clean hydrogen fuel and valuable chemical byproducts, making it an economically viable solution.

The details

The reactor first uses sulfuric acid from discarded car batteries to break down PET plastic waste through hydrolysis, creating compounds like terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol. A custom-made photocatalyst is then introduced, which can withstand the harsh acidic environment and, when exposed to sunlight, converts the ethylene glycol into hydrogen and acetic acid. Testing showed the reactor generated high hydrogen yields and ran for over 260 hours without performance degradation.

  • The discovery was almost accidental, according to lead researcher Erwin Reisner.
  • The team has now plans to commercialize the system with support from Cambridge's innovation arm, Cambridge Enterprise.

The players

Erwin Reisner

A professor at the University of Cambridge who led the research team that developed the new sunlight-activated reactor.

Kay Kwarteng

A PhD candidate in Reisner's research group who developed the photocatalyst used in the reactor.

University of Cambridge

The research institution where the new reactor technology was developed.

Cambridge Enterprise

The innovation arm of the University of Cambridge that is supporting the commercialization of the reactor system.

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What they’re saying

“We used to think acid was completely off limits in these solar-powered systems, because it would simply dissolve everything. But our catalyst developed didn't – and suddenly a whole new world of reactions opened up.”

— Erwin Reisner, Professor, University of Cambridge

“It's an untapped resource. If we can collect the acid before it's neutralized, we can use it again and again to break down plastics: it's a real win-win, avoiding the environmental cost of neutralizing the acid, while putting it to work generating clean hydrogen.”

— Kay Kwarteng, PhD Candidate, University of Cambridge

“We're not promising to fix the global plastics problem, but this shows how waste can become a resource. The fact we can create value from plastic waste using sunlight and discarded battery acid makes this a really promising process.”

— Erwin Reisner, Professor, University of Cambridge

What’s next

The researchers now plan to commercialize the system with the support of Cambridge's innovation arm, Cambridge Enterprise, to bring the technology to a larger scale.

The takeaway

This new reactor technology provides a potential solution to the growing plastic waste crisis by converting plastic and discarded battery acid into clean hydrogen fuel and valuable chemical byproducts, making it an economically viable approach to tackling environmental challenges.