Electrocatalytic upcycling of PET waste to biodegradable polymer coupled with hydrogen production at ampere-level current density

Open AccessCCS ChemistryRESEARCH ARTICLES31 Mar 2025Electrocatalytic upcycling of PET waste to biodegradable polymer coupled with hydrogen production at ampere-level current density Yifan Yan, Yu Fu, Jiangrong Yang, Qiwei Shi, Zhidong Wang, Zhiyuan Zhang, Hua Zhou, Zhenhua Li and Mingfei Shao Yifan Yan , Yu Fu , Jiangrong Yang , Qiwei Shi , Zhidong Wang , Zhiyuan Zhang , Hua Zhou , Zhenhua Li and Mingfei Shao https://doi.org/10.31635/ccschem.025.202505565 SectionsSupplemental MaterialAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail The electrocatalytic upgrading of polyethylene terephthalate (PET)-derived ethylene glycol (EG) to polyglycolic acid (PGA) offers a sustainable pathway for transforming waste into biodegradable polymer, aligning with the concept of waste-to-wealth. Nevertheless, ongoing research primarily focus on upgrading EG to GA, with direct upgrading PET to PGA remaining unexplored. Moreover, achieving ampere-level current density and ensuring long-term stability are significant challenges in EG electrooxidation. Herein, we achieved the electrooxidation of EG to GA with an impressive ampere-level current density (>1 A/cm2) and 1000 h stability using a AuPd alloy catalyst, together with a high GA selectivity (94%), and realized the full-process conversion of PET into PGA via electrocatalysis. We reveal that within the AuPd alloy, Au serves as the catalytic site for producing active oxygen species (OH*), while Pd functions as the adsorption site for EG, synergistically enhancing performance. To demonstrate practical application potential, we successfully transformed crude EG extracted from waste PET bottles into GA coupled with H2 production using a homemade flow electrolyzer, and then successfully polymerized the resulting GA to PGA. Preliminary techno-economic analysis estimates that the profit per ton of PGA from waste PET could remarkably reach $5475.6, highlighting the feasibility of addressing PET pollution through sustainable upcycling PET to PGA and H2 fuel. Download figure Download PowerPoint Previous articleNext article FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Issue AssignmentNot Yet AssignedSupporting Information Copyright & Permissions© 2025 Chinese Chemical Society Downloaded 0 times PDF downloadLoading ...