Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 2, 2026

Reductive Electropolymerization of a Vinyl-containing Poly-pyridyl Complex on Glassy Carbon and Fluorine-doped Tin Oxide Electrodes
Published on: January 30, 2015
Charge Confinement in an Ordered High-Entropy Intermetallic Breaks the Activity-Poisoning Trade‑Off for Glycolic Acid
Ruidong Yang1, Jiabing Geng1, Jiabao Yu1
1State Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Synthesis and Conversion, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Surface and Interface Science and Engineering for Catalysts, College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China.
Abstract:
Selective electrooxidation of ethylene glycol (EG) from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) hydrolysate to glycolic acid (GA) offers a sustainable route for plastic upcycling but is hindered by insufficient activity at industrially relevant current densities and severe catalyst deactivation caused by poisoning intermediates. Here, we design a two-dimensional ordered high-entropy intermetallic, HEI (PdPtRh)(InBi)ene, based on a Pd1In1-type body-centered-cubic framework. The ordered lattice induces pronounced p--d hybridization and charge redistribution, giving rise to a charge-confinement effect at the active sites. Operando infrared spectroscopy, CO stripping, and theoretical calculations reveal that this confined electronic environment precisely regulates the evolution of the key poisoning intermediate *COCH2OH, weakening its accumulation while preserving efficient EG activation. As a result, HEI (PdPtRh)(InBi)ene achieves a current density of 554.21 mA cm-2 at 0.9 V in PET hydrolysate (PETH). Furthermore, it maintains stable operation for 90 h in a flow cell at an industrially relevant current density of 200 mA cm-2, delivering an average GA Faradaic efficiency of 99.22% and an average GA production rate of 1.85 mmol h-1 cm-2. These findings demonstrate charge-confinement engineering as an effective route to regulate poisoning-intermediate behavior in electrocatalytic alcohol oxidation.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Extraction: Advanced Methods
Ziegler–Natta Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview
Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview
Types of Step-Growth Polymers: Polyesters
Polyesters are commonly prepared from terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol; the crude product is known as poly(ethylene terephthalate) or PET. However, polyesters are synthesized industrially by transesterification of dimethyl terephthalate with ethylene glycol at 150 °C. The two reactants and the polymer...
Electrolysis
Ion Exchange

