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A Molten Salt-Like Strategy for the Synthesis of Hierarchical NiCoMn-LDH Electrocatalysts for Electrocatalytic Upcycling of Polyethylene Terephthalate Waste
Summary
Scientists developed an eco-friendly catalyst that can turn plastic bottle waste (PET) into useful industrial chemicals using electricity, instead of letting it pile up in landfills or break down into microplastics that pollute our water and food. The process worked efficiently even when tested with real recycled plastic waste, suggesting a practical path toward transforming plastic trash into something valuable rather than a lingering environmental and health hazard.
Abstract The electrochemical upcycling of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste into value-added chemicals is widely recognized as a sustainable strategy for mitigating plastic pollution and valorizing carbon resources. However, developing nonprecious electrocatalysts with high selectivity, and stability at industrial current densities remains a major challenge. Herein, we report the synthesis of a trimetallic NiCoMn-layered double hydroxide (NiCoMn-LDH) catalyst using a molten salt-like strategy. This method avoids the use of any external solvent or additive, instead harnessing the crystal water inherent in metal salts to create a homogeneous reaction environment, thereby eliminating liquid waste and conserving water resources. The NiCoMn-LDH catalyst exhibits exceptional performance toward the ethylene glycol oxidation reaction (EGOR), delivering a current density of 300 mA cm–2 at 1.32 V vs RHE, along with a Faradaic efficiency of 88% and a formate selectivity of 97.8%. Upon integrated into a solid polymer electrolyte with a geometric area of 100 cm2, the catalyst maintains stable operation for over 100 h at 300 mA cm–2 with minimal voltage degradation (∼1.427 V). Notably, when ethylene glycol derived from real PET waste is utilized, the system retains a formate Faradaic efficiency of 92.4%, thereby demonstrating its practical viability for plastic upcycling. In this work, an eco-friendly synthesis route and a high-performance nonprecious catalyst system for electrochemical waste valorization are presented, offering a promising pathway toward a sustainable plastic refinery.