Cu3+/Ni3+ dual active sites for high-voltage driven electrocatalytic production of 2,5-furanedicarboxylic acid

Abstract

High voltage is key to achieving large-scale production of 2,5-furanedicarboxylic acid (FDCA) and highlights the future application potential of electrocatalysis technology in biomass chemical engineering. However, high voltage in the electrocatalytic system significantly promotes the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), thereby reducing the selectivity and Faraday efficiency (FE) of FDCA. In this work, Cu–Ni₃S₂ was successfully fabricated for efficient oxidation of HMF to FDCA, achieving desirable Faraday efficiency (FE) at high voltage. The synergistic action of Cu³⁺ and Ni³⁺ species effectively inhibited the OER and further achieved 100% selectivity and FE for FDCA production at a high voltage of 1.55V_RHE, which exceeds the operating voltage of the reported Ni₃S₂ system. Therefore, this work provides a new insight into the application of Ni₃S₂ catalysts at high voltage, advancing the transformation of biomass-derived platform compounds into high-value chemicals.