A general electrochemical strategy for upcycling polyester plastics into added-value chemicals by a CuCo2O4 catalyst

The recycling of plastic waste is one of the most urgent issues in the 21(st) century owing to its detrimental impact on the environment and human health. However, it is greatly challenging to develop more efficient, low-cost and general methods capable of selectively converting plastic waste into added-value and separable chemicals while restricting their distribution. Here, we report a general electrocatalytic strategy for the selective upcycling of various polyester plastics into added-value chemicals by a CuCo2O4/Ni foam catalyst under mild conditions. In particular, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) was upcycled into terephthalate and formate with high efficiency and selectivity (>86%) even at a high current density of 100 mA cm(-2). The electrocatalytic reaction mechanism was thoroughly elucidated by electrochemical in situ FTIR, NMR and DFT calculations. This work not only develops a superior electrocatalyst for upcycling various polyester plastics, but also provides guidance for the design of new and efficient electrocatalysts.

Automated summary

This study reports a general electrocatalytic strategy for selectively upgrading various polyester plastics into valuable chemicals using a CuCo2O4/Ni foam catalyst. The method efficiently converts polyethylene terephthalate (PET) into terephthalate and formate, providing guidance for the design of new electrocatalysts.