Electrocatalytic reforming of polyethylene terephthalate waste plastics into high-value-added chemicals with green hydrogen generation.

Electrochemical reforming offers a sustainable strategy for converting plastic waste into high-value-added chemicals and hydrogen fuel. Herein, a cost-effective NiFe-filmed electrode with a Tremella-like nanostructure was developed using an ultrasonic immersion etching method. This electrode enabled the electro-reforming of ethylene glycol (EG, a monomer of polyethylene terephthalate (PET)) into valuable commodity chemicals, with coproduction of hydrogen fuel. This system demonstrated notable electrocatalytic performance, achieving a current density of 100 mA/cm2 at a low overpotential of 1.52 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE). It also exhibits notable selectivity (94.4 %) and Faradaic efficiency (94.3 %) for formate production. Furthermore, in a proof-of-concept demonstration, real-world PET plastic waste was successfully utilized to produce potassium diformate and terephthalic acid with properties comparable to those of commercial products. This study provides a comprehensive strategy for designing cost-effective catalysts for plastic electro-upcycling and lays a foundation for advancing the circular economy of plastic waste.