Upcycling waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles into high-performance activated carbon for electrochemical desalination.

Upcycling waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles has attracted intensive research interests. This simultaneously alleviates plastic pollution and achieves a waste-to-resource strategy. Waste PET water bottles were used to fabricate value-added activated carbon (AC) electrodes for capacitive deionization (CDI).

In situ engineering of highly conductive TiO/carbon heterostructure fibers for enhanced electrocatalytic degradation of water pollutants.

Rational design of nanocomposite electrode materials with high conductivity, activity, and mechanical strength is critical in electrocatalysis. Herein, freestanding, flexible heteronanocomposites were fabricated in situ by carbonizing electrospun fibers with TiO nanoparticles on the surface for electrocatalytic degradation of water pollutants. The carbonization temperature was observed as a dominant parameter affecting the characteristics of the electrodes.