Value-Added Electrochemical Transformation of Polyethylene Terephthalate Waste into Formate over Se–NiCoP

Electrocatalytic upcycling of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste into value-added chemicals provides a promising strategy for alleviating plastic pollution and recovering valuable products. Herein, a MOF-derived phosphorization and selenization strategy was employed to synthesize Se-modified nickel-cobalt phosphide catalysts for efficient PET electroreforming. By optimizing the P and Se contents, the optimized Se–NiCoP catalyst was obtained, which exhibited significantly enhanced catalytic performance toward the ethylene glycol oxidation reaction. At 500 mA cm–2, Se–NiCoP required a potential of only 1.36 V, which was 260 mV lower than that required for the oxygen evolution reaction. During the electrochemical upcycling process, PET-derived ethylene glycol was selectively converted into formate, and a high formate Faradaic efficiency of 93.5% was achieved with a production rate of 3 mmol cm–2 h–1. Further structural characterization revealed that NiOOH was generated on the catalyst surface after electrolysis, indicating that Se–NiCoP underwent surface reconstruction during the catalytic process. This work demonstrates a promising application of PET powder as a waste-derived feedstock for energy-saving electrochemical upgrading into high value-added chemicals.