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Engineering discarded thermoelectric legs for sustainable hydrogen evolution
Gemeda Jemal Usa1, Caique C Oliveira2, Varinder Pal3
1Materials Science and Engineering, College of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering, Adama Science and Technology University, P.O. Box 1888, Adama, Oromia, Ethiopia. gebisabek12@gmail.com.
Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics : PCCP
|August 3, 2026
Summary
Recycling complex e-waste into a hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalyst offers a sustainable solution. This study converts thermoelectric waste into an efficient HER catalyst using a circular economy approach.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Sustainable Chemistry
Background:
- E-waste recycling is complex due to sophisticated materials in electronics.
- Thermoelectric (TE) waste presents a challenge for conventional recycling methods.
- Developing sustainable methods for waste valorization is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To convert thermoelectric waste into a functional electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER).
- To explore a circular-economy and low-carbon approach for waste management and energy production.
- To compare the HER performance of TE waste processed via different routes.
Main Methods:
- Processing of TE waste using ball milling (TE waste-BM) and melting-casting (TE waste-M).
- Morphological and structural characterization of the processed materials.
- Electrocatalytic testing for HER, including overpotential and Tafel slope measurements.
- First-principles calculations using density functional theory (DFT).
Main Results:
- The melting-casting route (TE waste-M) formed a BiSbTe3/ZnTe heterostructure, enhancing HER efficiency.
- TE waste-M showed lower overpotential and Tafel slope compared to TE waste-BM.
- TE waste-M demonstrated stable HER operation for 18 hours with minimal current decay.
- DFT calculations confirmed enhanced HER activity due to strengthened bonding states in the BiSbTe3/ZnTe heterostructure.
Conclusions:
- Thermoelectric waste can be effectively recycled into a high-performance HER electrocatalyst.
- The BiSbTe3/ZnTe heterostructure formed via melting-casting is key to improved catalytic activity.
- This approach integrates waste management with green hydrogen production, offering an economically viable and scalable solution.
