Electrocatalytic Upgrading of Polyethylene Terephthalate: Mechanisms, Catalyst Design, and Paired Electrolysis Applications

Abstract

Electrocatalytic polyethylene terephthalate (PET) upcycling has recently emerged as a promising and energy-efficient approach to transform plastic waste into valuable chemicals. By employing renewable electricity, electrochemical systems can activate and cleave the PET-derived small molecule through controllable redox reactions, enabling selective electrochemically oxidation into high-value products.Moreover, coupling anodic PET oxidation with cathodic reactions enables paired electrolysis for simultaneous waste valorization and green fuel production, significantly improving overall energy efficiency. Given the rapid development of advanced catalysts and their outstanding catalytic performance, this review provides a comprehensive and systematic overview of the current progress in electrocatalytic PET upcycling, covering the fundamental reaction mechanisms, the evolution of catalyst design strategies, and the development of integrated paired-electrolysis systems.Particular attention is given to the correlation between electronic structure modulation and catalytic performance, as well as the synergistic coupling between anodic oxidation and cathodic reduction processes. Finally, we identify the key challenges and outline future perspectives toward building efficient electrocatalytic platforms for sustainable plastic waste valorization.