Electro-catalyzed upcycling of monomers from polyester plastics

Plastic pollution poses an increasingly severe global challenge. As a widely used high-performance material, polyester plastic requires efficient recycling and value-added utilization, which are key strategies for realizing a circular plastic economy. This review systematically summarizes recent research progress in the electrocatalytic upcycling of monomers from waste polyester plastics. After alkaline hydrolysis depolymerizes waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) into terephthalic acid (TPA) and ethylene glycol (EG), EG can be selectively converted into value-added C1 or C2 chemicals via anodic electrocatalytic oxidation using various efficient catalysts. This process can be effectively coupled with diverse high-value cathodic reactions, such as the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR), and CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). This enables the simultaneous production of valuable products such as hydrogen, ammonia, or formic acid, thereby achieving synergistic resource recovery from waste PET and associated wastewater or gaseous waste streams. Electrocatalytic technology, with its mild conditions, controllable reaction pathways, compatibility with renewable electricity, and ability to generate high-value chemicals, represents a highly promising and sustainable approach for upcycling of EG from waste PET plastics.