Chloride-Promoted Dynamic Reconstruction of CoOOH for Enhanced Ethylene Glycol Electrooxidation

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) can be electrochemically upgraded into value-added chemicals under mild conditions, providing a viable strategy for the coupled aims of plastic-waste valorization and decarbonization. Replacing the anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with PET-derived ethylene glycol electrooxidation reaction (EGOR) markedly reduces the required cell voltage while co-producing H₂ and value-added products. However, realizing these applications hinges on the design of efficient and stable catalysts that enable selective oxidation. Herein, we demonstrate a novel EGOR pre-catalyst, Cl^- doped cobalt hydroxide on a Ni foam (NF) substrate (Co(OH)₂-Cl/NF), which undergoes chlorine etching through electrochemical activation, inducing the gradual in situ reconstruction of the pre-catalyst into a highly active EGOR catalyst (CoOOH-V_Cl/NF). During EGOR, CoOOH-V_Cl/NF demonstrates a current density of 400 mA cm^-2 at 1.37 V versus RHE, alongside a Faradaic efficiency of 96.9% for formate generation, while retaining stable performance over 100 h of uninterrupted operation, thus underscoring its considerable industrial application potential. The "Cl^- etching-induced material dynamic reconstruction" strategy proposed in this work not only provides a novel approach for constructing highly efficient EGOR electrocatalysts, but also lays the foundation for synergistically advancing the high-value utilization of plastic waste and green hydrogen production.