Co-sputtered CuNi heteroatomic electrocatalyst for enhanced 5-hydroxymethylfurfural selective electrochemical...

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Catalysis

Background:

• Electrochemical conversion of biomass-derived 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is a sustainable method for producing value-added chemicals.
• Challenges include low electrode activity and selectivity, with competition from the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER).

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop highly active and selective electrocatalysts for HMF conversion.
• To enhance the production of 2,5-Bis-hydroxymethylfuran (BHMF) via electrochemical hydrogenation (ECH).

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of Cu_xNi_100-x heteroatomic thin films using direct current (DC) magnetron co-sputtering.
• Electrochemical evaluation of HMF conversion performance.

Main Results:

• Cu_xNi_100-x films demonstrated over a tenfold increase in HMF to BHMF conversion rate compared to pure Cu and Ni electrodes.
• Achieved nearly 50% faradic efficiency (FE) for BHMF, significantly outperforming pure metal electrodes (~10% FE).

Conclusions:

• Synergistic interactions between Cu and Ni in heteroatomic films create an optimal catalytic environment.
• Enhanced BHMF formation is attributed to improved ECH pathway efficiency due to Cu-Ni synergy.