Li Zijian, Wang Shao, Yin Yijun, Qin Rui, Wei Chenyang, Luo Hongxia, Mu Tiancheng
Department of Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Life Resources, Renmin University of China, Beijing, 100872, P.R. China.
Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Media and Reactions, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, Henan, 453007, P. R. China.
Chem Asian J. 2025 May 2;20(9):e202401843. doi: 10.1002/asia.202401843. Epub 2025 Feb 6.
The electroconversion of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) into C2 fine chemicals and hydrogen (H) presents a promising solution for advancing the circular plastics economy. In this study, we report the electrooxidation of ethylene glycol (EG) to glycolic acid (GA) using a Pt-Ni(OH) catalyst, achieving a high Faraday efficiency (>90 %) even at high current densities (250 mA cm at 0.8 V vs. RHE). Notably, this catalyst outperforms most existing Pt-based catalysts in terms of catalytic activity. Experimental analyses reveal that: 1) Ni(OH) enhances the adsorption of OH ions and promotes the rapid generation of *OH active species, which are essential for the efficient oxidation of EG to GA; 2) the oxygenophilic nature of Pt improves EG adsorption, and in synergy with Ni, accelerates the oxidation process. Furthermore, Pt lowers the electrolysis potential, preventing excessive oxidation and ensuring high selectivity for GA. This work offers a promising pathway for the electrooxidation-based upgrading of PET plastics and provides valuable insights for future research in this area.
将聚对苯二甲酸乙二酯（PET）电转化为C2精细化学品和氢气（H）为推动循环塑料经济提供了一个有前景的解决方案。在本研究中，我们报道了使用Pt-Ni(OH)催化剂将乙二醇（EG）电氧化为乙醇酸（GA），即使在高电流密度（0.8 V相对于可逆氢电极时为250 mA cm）下也能实现高法拉第效率（>90%）。值得注意的是，该催化剂在催化活性方面优于大多数现有的铂基催化剂。实验分析表明：1）Ni(OH)增强了OH离子的吸附并促进了*OH活性物种的快速生成，这对于EG高效氧化为GA至关重要；2）Pt的亲氧性改善了EG的吸附，并与Ni协同作用，加速了氧化过程。此外，Pt降低了电解电位，防止过度氧化并确保对GA的高选择性。这项工作为基于电氧化的PET塑料升级提供了一条有前景的途径，并为该领域的未来研究提供了有价值的见解。
