Electrocatalytic Valorization of Poly(ethylene terephthalate) Plastic and CO2 for Simultaneous Production of Formic Acid

The electro-reforming of polymer plastic waste and CO2 has the merits for producing value-added chemicals and alleviating environmental pollution. Herein, we report an electrocatalytic integrating strategy for efficient valorization of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) plastic and CO2 to simultaneously produce formic acid at both anode and cathode. The NiCo2O4 electrocatalyst displays a high Faradaic efficiency of 90% for formic acid production, which indicates the excellent selectivity for PET hydrolysate oxidation. By coupling the PET hydrolysate oxidation reaction with the CO2 reduction reaction, the assembled electrolyzer exhibits a low cell voltage of 1.55 V to drive the integrated two half-reactions. Furthermore, a high Faradaic efficiency of 155% for formic acid can be achieved at a cell voltage of 1.90 V. This study suggests that electrocatalytic valorization of PET plastic coupling with CO2 reduction could be an energy-efficient and economically viable strategy to realize the production of value-added chemicals.