Work

Unlocking the role of oxygen vacancies in FeO / NiO /Ni for boosting 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural electrooxidation

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Electrocatalytic oxidation of 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural (HMFOR) offers an energy‐efficient route to high value‐added chemicals. There is an urgent demand for high‐performance non‐precious metal catalysts. Herein, the oxygen‐deficient FeO/NiO/Ni was synthesized, which has high performance for HMFOR with a conversion rate of 100%, a selectivity of 98.6% for 2,5‐furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), and a Faradaic efficiency of 94.1% at 1.5 V (vs. RHE), superior to most reported non‐precious metal catalysts. The efficient catalytic activity of FeO/NiO/Ni is attributed to the high specific surface area and enhanced adsorption and activation of HMF by oxygen vacancies, thereby reducing the rate‐limiting step energy barrier of 5‐hydroxymethyl‐2‐furancarboxylic acid to 5‐formyl‐furancarboxylic acid (*HMFCA→*FFCA). Ni 3+ acts as the active site for direct HMF oxidation catalysis, while Fe doping induces oxygen vacancies that facilitate the formation and stabilization of Ni 3+ species, enhancing their formation and catalytic functionality.

Source: AIChE Journal

DOI: 10.1002/aic.70150