Pore-encapsulated catalysts for selective hydrogenolysis of plastic waste

A process for catalytically hydrogenolysizing a polyolefinic polymer, said process comprising:

• providing a polyolefinic polymer and
• subjecting said polyolefinic polymer to a hydrogenolysis reaction in the presence of a catalyst to cleave the polymer into hydrocarbon segments, wherein the catalyst comprises:
• a silica core having an outer surface;
• a mesoporous silica shell having an outer surface and an inner surface with the inner surface being inside the outer surface of said mesoporous silica shell proximate to and surrounding the outer surface of said silica core, wherein the outer surface of the mesoporous silica shell has openings leading to pores within the mesoporous silica shell which extend toward the outer surface of said silica core;
• and
• catalytic metal nanoparticles positioned within the pores proximate to said core to cleave said polyolefinic polymer entering said mesoporous silica shell through the openings into hydrocarbon segments.