Proceedings of MATSUS Spring 2024 Conference (MATSUS24)
Publication date: 18th December 2023
The global community is facing a devastating plastic pollution crisis. In 2018, the global production of plastic exceeded 359 million tonnes. However, to date, only 9% of all plastic has been recycled.[1] The lack of efficient chemical recycling processes continues to drive the production of petrochemical-derived plastic. As a result, the plastic industry is accountable for 4.5% of all global greenhouse gas emissions.[2]
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic, commonly used in clear food and drinks packaging, makes up a significant proportion of global plastic waste.[3] Recovering and upcycling the ethylene glycol monomer from used PET offers a solution to reduce plastic waste production. The ethylene glycol obtained from depolymerisation of waste PET can be upcycled using electrolysis to produce high-value chemicals and H2. The partial electrochemical oxidation of ethylene glycol can yield many organic aldehyde and acid species.[4] In particular, the conversion of ethylene glycol to glycolic acid is of interest because of its increasing popularity as an active skincare ingredient. Additionally, the electrolysis of ethylene glycol offers a lower-energy alternative to the sluggish water electrolysis process for green H2 production.[5]
In this work, the selective electrochemical oxidation of ethylene glycol to glycolic acid in alkaline conditions is investigated on commercial Pt/C and Au/C catalysts. The activity and pathway of ethylene glycol electro-oxidation on Pt/C and Au/C is examined in both 3-electrode and membrane electrode assembly cells coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography for product analysis. The Au/C electrocatalyst was found to be more stable over time and showed higher faradaic efficiency towards glycolic acid production compared to Pt/C.
I would like to acknowledge and thank the EPSRC CDT in Next Generation Synthesis and Reaction Technology for funding this project. (Grant Ref: EP/S023232/1)
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