Potential cycling boosts the electrochemical conversion of polyethylene terephthalate-derived alcohol into valuable chemicals

Gui Zhao, Jiayi Lin, Mengying Lu, Lina Li, Pengtao Xu (), Xi Liu () and Liwei Chen ()
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Gui Zhao: Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Jiayi Lin: Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Mengying Lu: Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Lina Li: Shanghai Advanced Research Institute
Pengtao Xu: Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Xi Liu: Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Liwei Chen: Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract The electrocatalytic valorization of polyethylene terephthalate-derived ethylene glycol to valuable glycolic acid offers considerable economic and environmental benefits. However, conventional methods face scalability issues due to rapid activity decay of noble metal electrocatalysts. We demonstrate that a dynamic potential cycling approach, which alternates the electrode potential between oxidizing and reducing values, significantly mitigates surface deactivation of noble metals during electrochemical oxidation of ethylene glycol. This method enhances catalyst activity by 20 times compared to a constant-potential approach, maintaining this performance for up to 60 h with minimal deactivation. In situ Raman and X-ray absorption spectroscopy show that this effectiveness results from efficient removal of surface oxide during the reaction. The strategy is applicable to polyethylene terephthalate hydrolysates and various noble metals, such as palladium, gold, and platinum, with palladium showing a high conversion rate in recent studies. Our approach offers an efficient and durable method for electrochemical upcycling of biomass-derived compounds.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-52789-2

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