Waste PET plastic-mediated synthesis of manganese- and cobalt-doped RuO2 catalyst for electro-oxidation of water with robust stability

With numerous PET plastics being discarded, mankind is faced with serious environmental challenges. Innovative upcycling strategy to convert waste PET into functional materials is receiving attention. Meanwhile, water electrolysis is an environmentally friendly way for hydrogen production, but is limited by expensive catalysts. RuO 2 , as a potential alternative catalyst, is insufficient in stability and activity. Accordingly, we propose a novel OER catalyst (Ru x Mn 1.2 Co 0.8 O y ) converted from waste PET plastics via a bimetallic-MOF pathway, which partially retains the stacked nanorods structure and forms Mn,Co-doped RuO 2 with decreased particle size. The Ru x Mn 1.2 Co 0.8 O y delivers an overpotential of 214 mV at 10 mA cm −2 and operates stably over 500 h; moreover, the method is generalizable to diverse PET plastics. Theoretical calculations reveal the Ru sites adjacent to Mn- and Co-doped sites have low overpotential and favorable activity. This work provides a strategy for the high-value recycling of plastics resources and the development of OER electrocatalyst.