From plastic-waste to H2: Electrolysis of a Poly(methyl methacrylate) model molecule on polymer electrolyte membrane reactors

International audienceHydrogen production by the electrolysis of plastic-waste was recently suggested as an alternative approach to water electrolysis, owing to its favoured thermodynamics. However, the fundamental aspects of such electro-catalytic process were not studied in detail. Here we propose a new approach to understand the electrolysis of polymers, by the use of model molecules. Our target is to develop a technology for the electrolysis of poly(methyl methacrylate), PMMA, plastic waste. We used methyl pivalate (MP) as a model molecule, since it contains similar functional groups than PMMA. We performed electrolysis experiments in a Polymer Electrolyte Membrane reactor with Nafion® protonic membranes and Pt/C electrodes at low temperatures (<90 • C). The results obtained demonstrated that the electro-oxidation of MP allows to produce H 2 in a range of electrical potentials where water electrolysis is not thermodynamically possible (