Adsorption–Activation Bifunctional Center of Al/Co‐Base Catalyst for Boosting 5‐Hydroxymethylfurfural Oxidation

Abstract

AbstractElectrocatalytic conversion of biomass‐derived 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to value‐added 2,5‐furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) is of great significance in compensating for the rapid consumption of fossil resources. However, it is a challenge to further improve the performance of HMF electrocatalytic oxidation (HMFOR) by synergistic kinetics (active sites) and thermodynamics (adsorption sites). In this work, Al(OH)3/Co(OH)2 is successfully fabricated as an efficient catalyst, and its catalytic mechanism for HMF oxidation is clarified. Extended X‐ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) analysis demonstrate that electrochemically generated Co3+ is the main catalytic site for HMF oxidation. The HMF equilibrium adsorption capacity of Al(OH)3 reach 57.0 mg g−1, which effectively increase the initial concentration of substrate and promoted the reaction rate. The combined results, based on 24 stable cycles and an FDCA yield retention rate of 98.6% after 180 days, are the highest ever achieved. Additionally, it is shown that this system can oxidize four other biomass‐derived substrates. Therefore, this work provides insight into a hydroxide catalyst that owes its efficiency to synergy between active and adsorption sites.