Photoelectrochemical Ethylene Glycol Oxidization Coupled with Hydrogen Generation Using Metal Oxide Photoelectrodes

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting represents a promising approach for harnessing solar energy and transforming it into storable hydrogen. However, the complicated 4-electron transfer process of water oxidation reaction imposes kinetic limitations on the overall efficiency. Herein, we proposed a strategy by substituting water oxidation with the oxidation of ethylene glycol (EG), which is a hydrolysis byproduct of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic waste. To achieve this, we developed and synthesized BiVO