MHET
MHET, or mono(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate, is a monoester derived from terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol. It is one of the soluble products formed when polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is depolymerized, either chemically by hydrolysis or enzymatically. In enzymatic PET degradation, PETases release MHET and bis(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (BHET) from the polymer, and MHETase can further hydrolyze MHET to terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol, thereby contributing to a recycling pathway.
In practical terms, MHET is considered a key intermediate in PET recycling processes. It can be isolated
Chemically, MHET is the monoester of terephthalic acid with ethylene glycol, reflecting its origin from PET’s