Electrocatalytic conversion of waste plastic nylon 66 hydrolyzate into adiponitrile and hydrogen

Recently, the team of Professor Li Chunzhong and Associate Professor Li Yuhang of East China University of Science and Technology proposed a series reaction strategy. Through hydrolysis and electrolysis, ADN and adipic acid (AC) can be extracted from waste PA-66 under mild conditions. ) and hydrogen (H2). The core-shell structure anode catalyst Ni3S2@Fe2O3 is designed with Fe2O3 nanosheets on Ni2S3 nanowalls to dehydrogenate C-N bonds into C≡N bonds. In the 100-hour stability test, the Ni3S2@Fe2O3 electrode
mA cm-2 current density (1.40 V vs.
The Faradaic efficiency of ADN produced under RHE is >85%. At the same time, hydrogen gas is produced at the cathode. The unique core-shell structure of Ni3S2@Fe2O3 enhances its electrochemical performance. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) also shows that the formed Ni(Fe) oxygen (hydroxide) species may be the real active species for C-N bond dehydrogenation. This strategy provides new ideas for the sustainable production of high-value commodity chemicals and clean H2 fuel from PA-66 waste.