Industrial-Scale High-Selectivity Plastic Upgrading with Stability Exceeding 1000 h over Distorted PtPdTe Nanosheets

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Electrocatalytic oxidation of ethylene glycol (EG) to value-added chemicals is crucial for resource utilization but faces challenges in yield and durability.
• Existing methods often suffer from low efficiency and catalyst degradation, limiting practical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel electrocatalyst with enhanced activity and stability for ethylene glycol oxidation.
• To investigate the mechanism behind the improved catalytic performance.
• To demonstrate the feasibility of large-scale electrosynthesis of valuable chemicals from waste materials.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of highly distorted PtPdTe nanosheets (PtPdTe-a) by reconstructing layered PtPdTe dichalcogenide.
• Electrocatalytic testing for ethylene glycol oxidation, including activity, selectivity, and durability measurements.
• Mechanistic studies using advanced characterization techniques to understand the electronic structure and reaction pathways.
• Scale-up demonstration of the electrosynthesis process using a PtPdTe-a-based electrolyzer and waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

Main Results:

• PtPdTe-a exhibits a record mass activity of 11.78 A mg_Pt+Pd^-1 and 96.7% Faradaic efficiency for glycolic acid (GA) production from EG.
• The catalyst demonstrates unprecedented stability, operating for over 1000 hours at high current densities (> 150 mA cm^-2).
• Scale-up tests show a GA yield rate of 5.04 mmol cm^-2 h^-1 from PET upgrading, with significant production of terephthalic acid and sodium sulfate.
• The process yields a profit of approximately $880.23 per ton of PET processed.

Conclusions:

• The highly distorted PtPdTe-a nanosheets, with their modulated electronic states and oxophilicity, significantly enhance EG electro-oxidation.
• The developed catalyst and process offer a stable, efficient, and profitable route for converting waste materials like PET into valuable chemicals.
• This strategy opens new avenues for sustainable chemical synthesis and resource management.