Potential‐Dependent Kinetics and Reaction Pathways of Low‐Potential Furfural Electrooxidation with Anodic H2 Production

The low‐potential furfural electrooxidation reaction (FFOR) on copper‐based catalysts provides a novel pathway to upgrade biomass and produce H2 simultaneously on anode. Herein, a series of oxide‐derived copper catalysts (OD‐Cu‐x, x represents electroreduction time) with distinct Cu0/Cu+ ratios and...

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Main Authors: Zhaohui Wu, Guihao Liu, Ziheng Song, Yihang Hu, Tianqi Nie, Yu‐Fei Song
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley-VCH 2025-08-01
Series:Small Science
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/smsc.202500132
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author Zhaohui Wu
Guihao Liu
Ziheng Song
Yihang Hu
Tianqi Nie
Yu‐Fei Song
author_facet Zhaohui Wu
Guihao Liu
Ziheng Song
Yihang Hu
Tianqi Nie
Yu‐Fei Song
author_sort Zhaohui Wu
collection DOAJ
description The low‐potential furfural electrooxidation reaction (FFOR) on copper‐based catalysts provides a novel pathway to upgrade biomass and produce H2 simultaneously on anode. Herein, a series of oxide‐derived copper catalysts (OD‐Cu‐x, x represents electroreduction time) with distinct Cu0/Cu+ ratios and residual content of lattice oxygen are successfully constructed by tuning in‐situ electroreduction time. When applied for FFOR, the OD‐Cu‐600 with a Cu0/Cu+ ratio of 83.3% shows the Faradaic efficiency of 96.1% for furoic acid (FA) and 97.4% for H2, which can be achieved at a lowest potential of 0.081 V versus RHE at 10 mA cm−2 in continuous 10 cycles, outperforming the state‐of‐art Cu‐based catalysts reported so far. Detailed characterization and density functional theory (DFT) calculations prove that the moderate coverage (25% based on DFT models) of Cu(OH)ads surface species generated by Cu+ during the electrooxidation process endows the optimal furfural molecule adsorption and activation. Moreover, this potential‐dependent coverage of surface OH can promote the kinetics of *H transfer to the Cu surface, allowing the H2 evolution from the anode. The Cu0/Cu+ ratio (83.8%) and suitable applied potential windows (0 to 0.4 V vs RHE) are both responsible for the co‐production of FA and H2 with high intrinsic activity and efficient H atom utilization.
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spelling doaj-art-e253193fcff14aae91b623d5861a13d42025-08-20T03:04:01ZengWiley-VCHSmall Science2688-40462025-08-0158n/an/a10.1002/smsc.202500132Potential‐Dependent Kinetics and Reaction Pathways of Low‐Potential Furfural Electrooxidation with Anodic H2 ProductionZhaohui Wu0Guihao Liu1Ziheng Song2Yihang Hu3Tianqi Nie4Yu‐Fei Song5State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering Beijing University of Chemical Technology Beijing 100029 P. R. ChinaState Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering Beijing University of Chemical Technology Beijing 100029 P. R. ChinaState Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering Beijing University of Chemical Technology Beijing 100029 P. R. ChinaState Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering Beijing University of Chemical Technology Beijing 100029 P. R. ChinaState Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering Beijing University of Chemical Technology Beijing 100029 P. R. ChinaState Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering Beijing University of Chemical Technology Beijing 100029 P. R. ChinaThe low‐potential furfural electrooxidation reaction (FFOR) on copper‐based catalysts provides a novel pathway to upgrade biomass and produce H2 simultaneously on anode. Herein, a series of oxide‐derived copper catalysts (OD‐Cu‐x, x represents electroreduction time) with distinct Cu0/Cu+ ratios and residual content of lattice oxygen are successfully constructed by tuning in‐situ electroreduction time. When applied for FFOR, the OD‐Cu‐600 with a Cu0/Cu+ ratio of 83.3% shows the Faradaic efficiency of 96.1% for furoic acid (FA) and 97.4% for H2, which can be achieved at a lowest potential of 0.081 V versus RHE at 10 mA cm−2 in continuous 10 cycles, outperforming the state‐of‐art Cu‐based catalysts reported so far. Detailed characterization and density functional theory (DFT) calculations prove that the moderate coverage (25% based on DFT models) of Cu(OH)ads surface species generated by Cu+ during the electrooxidation process endows the optimal furfural molecule adsorption and activation. Moreover, this potential‐dependent coverage of surface OH can promote the kinetics of *H transfer to the Cu surface, allowing the H2 evolution from the anode. The Cu0/Cu+ ratio (83.8%) and suitable applied potential windows (0 to 0.4 V vs RHE) are both responsible for the co‐production of FA and H2 with high intrinsic activity and efficient H atom utilization.https://doi.org/10.1002/smsc.202500132anodic H2 productionfurfural electrooxidationoxide‐derived copperpotential‐dependence
spellingShingle Zhaohui Wu
Guihao Liu
Ziheng Song
Yihang Hu
Tianqi Nie
Yu‐Fei Song
Potential‐Dependent Kinetics and Reaction Pathways of Low‐Potential Furfural Electrooxidation with Anodic H2 Production
Small Science
anodic H2 production
furfural electrooxidation
oxide‐derived copper
potential‐dependence
title Potential‐Dependent Kinetics and Reaction Pathways of Low‐Potential Furfural Electrooxidation with Anodic H2 Production
title_full Potential‐Dependent Kinetics and Reaction Pathways of Low‐Potential Furfural Electrooxidation with Anodic H2 Production
title_fullStr Potential‐Dependent Kinetics and Reaction Pathways of Low‐Potential Furfural Electrooxidation with Anodic H2 Production
title_full_unstemmed Potential‐Dependent Kinetics and Reaction Pathways of Low‐Potential Furfural Electrooxidation with Anodic H2 Production
title_short Potential‐Dependent Kinetics and Reaction Pathways of Low‐Potential Furfural Electrooxidation with Anodic H2 Production
title_sort potential dependent kinetics and reaction pathways of low potential furfural electrooxidation with anodic h2 production
topic anodic H2 production
furfural electrooxidation
oxide‐derived copper
potential‐dependence
url https://doi.org/10.1002/smsc.202500132
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