researchers discovered that by using a ruthenium-catalysedsemi-hydrogenation process, PET waste could be depolymerised into a valuable chemical, ethyl-4-hydroxymethyl benzoate (EHMB). 

Remarkably, EHMB serves as a key intermediate for synthesising several important compounds, including the blockbuster anticancer drug Imatinib, Tranexamic acid, the base for medication that helps the blood to clot, and the insecticide Fenpyroximate. 

When surgeons remove an aggressive bone tumor from the pelvis, saving a patient’s life can mean sacrificing a large portion of the spine and hip. Putting that fragile structure back together in a way that will let the patient sit, stand and walk safely is one of the most difficult challenges in orthopedic oncology and requires a team of experts with highly specialized skills. Now, a new collaboration between Rice University engineers and physicians at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is giving surgeons a powerful new way to plan those reconstructions before they ever step into the operating room. The research was recently published in the Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials.