Interfacial Bridge Engineering Enables Bifunctional Catalysis for the Electro-Reforming of Plastic Derivatives

The electrocatalytic reforming of plastic waste into value-added chemicals represents a promising pathway toward a circular economy, yet its practical implementation remains constrained by the scarcity of catalysts capable of delivering both selective and efficient oxidation. Here, we deliberately engineer a Pt−O−Ni interfacial bridge within a Pt@Ni(OH)2 catalyst, which precisely tailors the electronic structure of Pt and optimizes the adsorption energetics of key intermediates involved in the oxidation of ethylene glycol (EG), a representative plastic-derived feedstock. This interfacial regulation lowers the activation barrier, selectively steers the reaction pathway toward glycolic acid (GA) formation with high Faradaic efficiency, and simultaneously promotes the hydrogen evolution reaction. In a membrane-free electro-reforming cell, the bifunctional catalyst, operating concurrently as both anode and cathode, exhibits great activity and durability, enabling the co-production of hydrogen and GA at an industrially relevant current density of 150 mA·cm−2 under 1.0 V, sustaining stable operation for 144 h at room temperature. Techno-economic analysis predicts a $1449.50 profit per ton of PET waste, demonstrating industrial feasibility and establishing interfacial electronic engineering as a powerful paradigm for designing high-performance bifunctional electrocatalysts.