Synergizing NiOOH formation and proton conduction via oxygen vacancy-induced dual regulation for 1,5-glutaric acid synthesis

Abstract

V_O–CeO₂–Ni(OH)₂ electrocatalyst enables efficient electrooxidation of 1,5-pentanediol to 1,5-glutaric acid. Oxygen vacancies provide dual regulation: accelerating NiOOH reconstruction and increasing the proportion of 2-coordinated hydrogen-bonded water proportions in the interfacial water to build an ultrafast proton-conductive pathway via Grotthuss mechanism. This microenvironment modulation overcomes electronic-only limits, significantly boosting activity at industrial current densities.