Reverse Hydrogen Spillover at M/Cu Interfaces Drives Efficient Bipolar Hydrogen Production From Furfural...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Bipolar hydrogen production systems offer efficient, low-energy hydrogen generation.
• Developing effective electrocatalysts and understanding catalytic mechanisms are key challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and investigate heterogeneous M/Cu interfaces for enhanced furfural oxidation in bipolar hydrogen production.
• To explore the role of interface engineering in catalytic mechanisms and hydrogen spillover.

Main Methods:

• Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were employed to study M/Cu interfaces (M = noble metals).
• Interface engineering was used to construct catalysts for the furfural oxidation reaction in a bipolar hydrogen production system (FFOR-H2).

Main Results:

• The Au/Cu heterojunction demonstrated superior performance, promoting C-H bond cleavage via catalytic dehydrogenation.
• The study reports the first instance of reverse hydrogen spillover using organic compounds.
• The Au/Cu interface achieved high activity (0.05 V vs RHE at 10 mA cm-2), 92.7% furfural conversion, and nearly 100% Faradaic efficiency.

Conclusions:

• Au/Cu interfaces significantly enhance the FFOR-H2 system through interfacial catalysis and reverse hydrogen spillover.
• This approach provides an economical and sustainable alternative to conventional energy conversion systems.
• The findings offer valuable insights for advancing bipolar hydrogen production technologies.