Polymer degradation

A method of degrading a homo or copolymer into oligomers, trimers, dimers and/or monomers, comprising the steps of:

• providing the polymer in a suitable solvent, wherein the polymer is one or more of a polyester, a polyamide, a polycondensate, and a polyether, wherein the solvent is a mono- or di-alcohol, the polymer being in solid form,
• adjusting temperature and pressure to reaction conditions, wherein the degrading is performed at a temperature of 50° C.-500° C., wherein the pressure is from 90 kPa-10.000 kPa,
• providing a catalyst complex comprising a catalyst entity, a magnetic nanoparticle, and a bridging moiety solely between the catalyst entity and the magnetic nanoparticle, wherein the catalyst entity and bridging moiety are attached by a chemical covalent bond and wherein an oxygen comprising part of the bridging moiety and nanoparticle are attached by a covalent bond, the catalyst complex being capable of degrading a polyester or polyether polymer into oligomers, trimers, dimers and/or monomers,
• wherein the catalyst entity comprises both positive and negative charged moieties,
• wherein the positive charge is on an aromatic heterocyclic moiety,
• wherein the negative charge is on a metal salt complex moiety having a two- or three-plus charged metal ion or negatively charged counter-ion,
• wherein the magnetic particles have an average diameter of 2 nm-500 nm,
• wherein the magnetic particles comprise iron oxide,
• wherein the bridging moiety is one or more of a weak organic acid, silyl comprising groups, and silanol, and
• wherein the bridging moiety is present in an amount of 5*10−6-0.1 Mole bridging moiety/gr magnetic particle, wherein the amount of catalyst is 0.1-35 wt. %, relative to a total weight of polymer provided,
• degrading the polymer over a period sufficient to degrade a significant portion thereof,
• recovering the catalyst complex, and
• recycling the recovered catalyst complex.