Simultaneous upcycling of PET plastic waste and CO 2 reduction through Co-electrolysis: a novel approach for integrating CO 2 reduction and PET hydrolysate oxidation

• Published in: Journal of materials chemistry. A, Materials for energy and sustainability Materials for energy and sustainability, 2023-12, Vol.11 (47), p.26075-26085
• Main Authors: Kilaparthi, Sravan Kumar, Addad, Ahmed, Barras, Alexandre, Szunerits, Sabine, Boukherroub, Rabah
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 2050-7488; 2050-7496
• DOI: 10.1039/D3TA05726G

Improper handling of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic waste contributes to CO 2 emissions during incineration. This study proposes an innovative strategy for tackling PET waste and CO 2 emissions simultaneously. Integrating the CO 2 electrochemical reduction reaction (CO 2 RR) with PET hydrolysate oxidation offers a promising avenue. Bismuth oxide carbonate (BOC) loaded on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and CuCoO loaded on rGO (CuCoO@rGO) were employed for cathodic CO 2 RR and anodic PET hydrolysate oxidation, respectively, for concurrent production of formate. The anodic CuCoO@rGO catalyst exhibited high electro-activity and a remarkable faradaic efficiency (FE) of 85.7% at 1.5 V vs. RHE. The cathodic BOC@rGO catalyst achieved a FE of 97.4% at −0.8 V vs. RHE, facilitating formate production from CO 2 RR. Employing this approach in an electrolyzer allowed formic acid production at a low cell voltage of 1.9 V at 10 mA cm −2 with a formate FE of 151.8%. This innovation offers a novel route for PET waste upcycling, CO 2 reduction, and environmental sustainability.