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Scale-up upcycling of waste polyethylene terephthalate plastics to biodegradable polyglycolic acid plastics
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This study developed an electrochemical upcycling process to convert waste PET plastic into biodegradable polyglycolic acid using Pd-CoCr₂O₄ catalysts, achieving 93% glycolic acid selectivity at industrial-relevant current densities. A pilot plant test converted 20 kilograms of waste PET at 0.32 kilograms per hour yield, demonstrating the potential for scalable conversion of plastic waste into a biodegradable replacement polymer.
Electrochemical upcycling of waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) into biodegradable polyglycolic acid (PGA) is a promising solution to relieve plastic pollution. However, both the low current density and tedious separation process for target glycolic acid (GA) products in a flow electrolysis have hindered industrial-scale applications. Here, we show an interfacial acid-base microenvironment regulation strategy for the efficient oxidation of PET-derived ethylene glycol (EG) into GA using Pd-CoCr2O4 catalysts. Specifically, only a cell voltage of 1.25 V is needed to deliver a current density of ca. 290 mA cm-2. Moreover, a green separation method is developed to obtain high-purity GA (99%). 20 kg of waste PET is employed for the pilot plant test (stack electrolyzer: 324 cm2 × 5), which exhibits 93.0% GA selectivity at 280 mA cm-2 (current: 90.72 A) with a yield rate of 0.32 kg h-1. After polymerization, PGA yield can reach up to 87%, demonstrating the potential of this technique for large-scale PGA production from waste PET.
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Researchers developed a Pd67Ag33 alloy electrocatalyst that converts waste PET plastic into glycolic acid with 92.7% efficiency under ambient conditions, achieving activity 408 times greater than standard catalysts. The study reveals how combined strain and ligand effects in the alloy synergistically boost selectivity and reaction kinetics.
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Researchers developed a vanadium- and ruthenium-doped nickel hydroxide electrocatalyst that converts ethylene glycol from PET plastic waste into formic acid at industrial-scale current densities up to 2000 mA/cm², with V accelerating catalyst activation and Ru promoting the hydroxyl radicals needed to sustain high selectivity at ampere-level operation.
Coral‐Like Pd 3 Pb Nanoarchitectures Enable Poisoning‐Resistant Electrosynthesis of Glycolic Acid From PET‐Derived Ethylene Glycol
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Coral-like Pd3Pb nanocrystals electrochemically converted PET plastic hydrolysate into glycolic acid with 95.2% selectivity and over 77 hours durability, by using Pb incorporation to suppress catalyst poisoning and enable stable long-term operation. This electrochemical upcycling approach transforms plastic waste directly into a commercially valuable chemical, offering a pathway that simultaneously addresses plastic pollution and produces useful feedstocks.
Advanced catalyst design and mechanistic insights in electrocatalytic upcycling of PET-derived ethylene glycol and coupled electrolysis systems.
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Researchers reviewed electrocatalytic strategies for converting PET-derived ethylene glycol into value-added chemicals, analyzing mechanistic differences between C-C cleavage pathways leading to formate and selectivity-controlled routes toward glycolate — and surveying how coupling these oxidation reactions with hydrogen evolution, CO reduction, or nitrate reduction can lower overall cell voltage while co-producing useful fuels.
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