Hierarchical Nickel-Cobalt-Based Transition Metal Oxide Catalysts for the Electrochemical Conversion of Biomass into Valuable Chemicals

Lifang Gao; Yu Bao; Shiyu Gan; Zhonghui Sun; Zhongqian Song; Dongxue Han; Fenghua Li; Li Niu

doi:10.1002/cssc.201800695

Hierarchical Nickel-Cobalt-Based Transition Metal Oxide Catalysts for the Electrochemical Conversion of Biomass into Valuable Chemicals

ChemSusChem. 2018 Aug 9;11(15):2547-2553. doi: 10.1002/cssc.201800695. Epub 2018 Jul 12.

Authors

Lifang Gao^{1

2}, Yu Bao³, Shiyu Gan^{1

3}, Zhonghui Sun³, Zhongqian Song^{1

2}, Dongxue Han^{1

3}, Fenghua Li¹, Li Niu^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, c/o, Engineering Laboratory for Modern Analytical Techniques, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, 130022, Jilin, China.
² University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100039, China.
³ Center for Advanced Analytical Science, c/o, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China.

PMID: 29885212
DOI: 10.1002/cssc.201800695

Abstract

The upgrading of biomass into sustainable and valuable fine chemicals is an alternative to the use of state-of-the-art petrochemicals. The conversion of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) biomass derivative into 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) has been recognized as an economical and green approach to replace the current polyethylene terephthalate based plastic industry. However, this reaction mostly relies on noble-metal-based catalysts for the sluggish aerobic oxidation of alcohol groups. In this work, we report a series of hierarchical Ni-Co-based transition metal oxide catalysts for HMF oxidation by electrocatalysis. Comprehensive material characterization and electrochemical evaluation have been performed. A 90 % FDCA yield, nearly 100 % Faradaic efficiency, and robust stability were achieved for NiCo₂ O₄ nanowires. As non-precious-metal catalysts, Ni-Co-based transition metal oxides may open up new potential materials for highly efficient electrochemical biomass upgrading.

Keywords: biomass; cobalt; electrochemistry; nickel; oxidation.