Tailoring bifunctional platinum-nickel-carbon catalysts for coupled biomass glucose electrooxidation to value-added...

The use of renewable electricity to electrooxidize the biomass feedstock glucose and convert it into valuable chemicals, combined with water electrolysis to produce hydrogen, promises to achieve carbon neutrality and provide alternative energy storage solutions. However, the commercial viability of glucose electrooxidation reaction (GOR) to produce lactic acid (LA) and formic acid (FA) remains challenging due to low selectivity and poor long-term stability. Herein, a novel bifunctional catalyst (Pt/Ni-NC), was successfully developed by embedding Ni into nitrogen-doped hollow carbon spheres and incorporating low levels of Pt. The catalyst exhibited excellent performance for glucose electrooxidation, selectively producing lactic acid (with a yield of 59.3 %) and formic acid (with a yield of 35.2 %), as well as for hydrogen evolution in an integrated electrolytic system. The glucose electrolytic cell operated at a lower voltage (only 1.45 V at 10 mA cm^-2) than conventional water splitting, achieving significant yields of LA and FA. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations provided insights into the mechanism, revealing that Pt doping facilitated electron transfer, enhancing glucose molecule activation and promoting the conversion of intermediates through a thermodynamically favorable pathway. Overall, this work highlights a promising strategy for coupling biomass conversion with hydrogen production, contributing to the development of sustainable energy and chemical processes.