Chloride‐Promoted Dynamic Reconstruction of CoOOH for Enhanced Ethylene Glycol Electrooxidation

ABSTRACT Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) can be electrochemically upgraded into value‐added chemicals under mild conditions, providing a viable strategy for the coupled aims of plastic‐waste valorization and decarbonization. Replacing the anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with PET‐derived ethylene glycol electrooxidation reaction (EGOR) markedly reduces the required cell voltage while co‐producing H ₂ and value‐added products. However, realizing these applications hinges on the design of efficient and stable catalysts that enable selective oxidation. Herein, we demonstrate a novel EGOR pre‐catalyst, Cl ⁻ doped cobalt hydroxide on a Ni foam (NF) substrate (Co(OH) ₂ ‐Cl/NF), which undergoes chlorine etching through electrochemical activation, inducing the gradual in situ reconstruction of the pre‐catalyst into a highly active EGOR catalyst (CoOOH‐V _Cl /NF). During EGOR, CoOOH‐V _Cl /NF demonstrates a current density of 400 mA cm ⁻² at 1.37 V versus RHE, alongside a Faradaic efficiency of 96.9% for formate generation, while retaining stable performance over 100 h of uninterrupted operation, thus underscoring its considerable industrial application potential. The “Cl ⁻ etching‐induced material dynamic reconstruction” strategy proposed in this work not only provides a novel approach for constructing highly efficient EGOR electrocatalysts, but also lays the foundation for synergistically advancing the high‐value utilization of plastic waste and green hydrogen production.