Recent research progress of green electrocatalytic upgrade and recycling of PET waste plastics by Zhao Yixin's team at Shanghai Jiaotong University

Since 2021, the research team of Professor Zhao Yixin of Shanghai Jiaotong University has taken the lead in carrying out the research on green electrocatalytic reforming of PET waste plastic to co-produce formic acid and hydrog.

As a thermoplastic polyester, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is widely used in the production of disposable plastics due to its good physical and mechanical properties, stable chemical properties and low manufacturing and processing cos.

In the first research work, the researchers successfully converted ethylene glycol in PET hydrolyzate to formic acid products with high selectivity based on low-cost CuO nanowire catalytic anode, using electrocatalytic technology, and co-produced hydrogen at the catho.

FigureSchematic diagram of electrocatalytic reforming of PET waste plastics for co-production of formic acid and hydrogen

The researchers first systematically investigated the catalytic activity of CuO electrodes for electrocatalytic oxidation of PET hydrolysates using a three-electrode setup (F.

The results of catalytic product analysis show that the CuO electrode can oxidize ethylene glycol in PET hydrolyzate to formic acid with high selectivity, and the Faradaic efficiency is about 8

Finally, the researchers deeply explored the reaction mechanism of the selective oxidation of ethylene glycol molecules on the surface of the copper oxide electrode to form formic ac.

Figure(A) LSV curves of different Cu-based oxide catalytic electrodes in PET hydrolyza.

In the second work, the researchers prepared inexpensive and readily available nickel-cobalt-based and tin-based oxide materials for electrocatalytic oxidation of PET hydrolysate and electrocatalytic reduction of CO2, respectively, achieving high performance at lower voltag.

Point 1: The use of electrocatalytic technology to realize the resource upgrading and recycling of PET waste plastics under normal temperature and pressure conditions;

Point 2: Coupling the CO2 reduction half-reaction, effectively increasing the efficiency of preparing formic acid products from electric reforming PET waste plastics;

Point 3: Compared with the water oxidation reaction, the ethylene glycol oxidation reaction in the PET hydrolyzate has more favorable thermodynamic and kinetic reaction characteristics, and the coupling with the CO2 reduction reaction can effectively reduce the energy consumption of the reaction syst.

FigureSchematic diagram of co-production of formic acid by electrocatalytic reforming of PET waste plastic and CO2

The researchers firstly investigated the activity and selectivity of electrocatalytic oxidation of PET hydrolyzates over NiCo2O4 spinel oxide catalysts using a three-electrode system (F.

Figure(A) LSV curves of NiCo2O4 for PET hydrolyzate oxidation and water oxidati.

On this basis, the researchers selected Sn-based materials that can reduce CO2 to formic acid with high selectivity as cathode catalysts, combined with the above NiCo2O4 catalysts, and assembled a two-electrode test system to study the co-production of high-value formic acid produc.

The research shows that the use of this electrocatalytic coupling strategy can not only upgrade and recycle waste PET plastic, but also realize the resource conversion of greenhouse gas CO2, showing high application research val.

Figure(A) LSV curves of NiCo2O4||SnO2 two-electrode catalytic system in solutions with and without PET hydrolyza.

The above two research works have been funded and supported by the major research and development plan of the Ministry of Science and Technology, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Shanghai Science and Technology Commission Academic Leader Project and the Post-doctoral Fund Proje.

Zhao Yixin's research team has long been focusing on the research of efficient and stable perovskite solar cells and the research on catalytic upgrading of waste driven by green electrici.

Paper link:

Wang, JY; Li,.

; Wang, ML; Zhang,.

; Chai, XY; Lu, JL; Wang, TF*; Zhao, YX*; Ma,.

*, Electrocatalytic Valorization of Poly(ethylene terephthalate) Plastic and CO2 for Simultaneous Production of Formic Ac.

ACS Cat.

2022, 12, 6722-672

https://d.

org/11021/acscat.

2c0112

Wang, JY; Li,.

; Zhang,.

; Chen, YT; Wang, TF*; Zhao, YX*; Electro-Reforming Polyethylene Terephthalate Plastic to Co-Produce Valued Chemicals and Green Hydrog.

.

Ph.

Ch.

Le.

2022, 13, 622-62

https://d.

org/11021/a.

jpcle.

1c0365