Launched in 2017, the Villum Investigator Programme enables outstanding researchers to pursue original ideas in the technical and natural sciences. This year, 11 top researchers from DTU, the University of Copenhagen, and Aarhus University were selected—and Troels Skrydstrup is among them. With this grant Skrydstrup and his team can dive deeper into the challenge that is: How can we break down thermoset plastics and give them new life?

Thermosets are among the strongest and most durable plastics and consist of materials such as epoxy resin and polyurethane foams. These qualities make them ideal candidates for industrial application and can be found in wind turbines, mattresses, and insulation foams.

Skrydstrup explains that thermosets form a three-dimensional network that cannot be melted, making them unsuitable for recycling through traditional methods. However, Skrydstrup’s team are actively exploring new chemical methods to change that, aiming to make thermosets recyclable.

The Skrydstrup group has made remarkable strides in the field of main element and transition metal catalysis. Collaborating with industrial partners, the research team has successfully demonstrated the chemical degradation of polyurethane (PU) foam and epoxy resins. They were the first to have deconstructed the PU and then remade the mattress foam again, and the first to demonstrate the breakdown of epoxy matrices, enabling the recovery of embedded glass fibers. ^[1],[2]

Looking ahead, the Skrydstrup group's work holds immense potential for the future of sustainable materials management. If successful, this project could transform the chemical industry's approach to materials, waste, and fossil fuel dependency.

Christina Egelund, minister for Higher Education and Science, attended the celebration of the 11 top-researchers at the award ceremony in VILLUM Window Collection in Søborg Tuesday, May 6th, 2025.

Read the full press release here

[1] Johansen, M. B., Donslund B. S., Larsen E., Olsen M. B., Pedersen J. A. L., Boye M., Smedsgård J. K. C., Heck R., Kristensen S. K., and Skrydstrup T., Closed-Loop Recycling of Polyols from Thermoset Polyurethanes by tert-Amyl Alcohol-Mediated Depolymerization of Flexible Foams. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 11, 10737-10745 (2023).
doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.3c01469

[2] Ahrens, A., Bonde, A., Sun, H. Wittig, N. K., Hammershøj, H. C. D., Batista, G. M. F., Sommerfeldt, A. Frølich, S., Birkedal, H. Skrydstrup, T., Catalytic disconnection of C–O bonds in epoxy resins and composites. Nature 617, 730-737 (2023).
doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-05944-6

Contact information
Professor Troels Skrydstrup
Aarhus University