Liquid metal enabled reformation of ethylene glycol

Having showcased intriguing features in a vast range of catalytic applications, liquid metals (LMs) are continuously ticking boxes of pathways that are conventionally only associated with transitional metals. Herein, we report a gallium-ethylene glycol system where gallium is utilized to interact and break down organic bonds. Ethylene glycol is selected as a model organic compound, as it has been extensively studied for the reformation mechanisms and the potential to produce hydrogen gas. With mechanical agitation applied to the LM-based reaction system, we establish an in-situ monitoring approach for the gaseous products and also perform a series of characterizations on the post-reaction mixture. We reveal that the hydrogen gas production from the system is continuous and highly selective. Gaseous alkanes and alkenes are also observed in the output. Our analyses demonstrate that gallium induces structural reformations of ethylene glycol following a complex pathway. The process generates methyl, aldehyde, carbonyl, and other groups. We further reveal the formation of polymer products with repeating methylene groups in the system. The process for reforming ethylene glycol signifies the capability of LMs to efficiently break down organic bonds. As such, this study provides a platform to explore environment-friendly and alternative strategies for hydrogen production and organic transformation toward valuable products.