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Electrocatalytic Oxidation of 5‐(Hydroxymethyl)furfural Using High‐Surface‐Area Nickel Boride
Author(s) -
Barwe Stefan,
Weidner Jonas,
Cychy Steffen,
Morales Dulce M.,
Dieckhöfer Stefan,
Hiltrop Dennis,
Masa Justus,
Muhler Martin,
Schuhmann Wolfgang
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.201806298
Subject(s) - hydroxymethyl , furfural , electrocatalyst , electrolysis , electrochemistry , polyethylene terephthalate , cyclic voltammetry , nickel , chemistry , biorefinery , organic chemistry , materials science , nuclear chemistry , chemical engineering , electrode , catalysis , raw material , composite material , engineering , electrolyte
Abstract The electrochemical oxidation of the biorefinery product 5‐(hydroxymethyl)furfural (HMF) to 2,5‐furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), an important platform chemical for the polymer industry, is receiving increasing interest. FDCA‐based polymers such as polyethylene 2,5‐furandicarboxylate (PEF) are sustainable candidates for replacing polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Herein, we report the highly efficient electrocatalytic oxidation of HMF to FDCA, using Ni foam modified with high‐surface‐area nickel boride (Ni x B) as the electrode. Constant potential electrolysis in combination with HPLC revealed a high faradaic efficiency of close to 100 % towards the production of FDCA with a yield of 98.5 %. Operando electrochemistry coupled to ATR‐IR spectroscopy indicated that HMF is oxidized preferentially via 5‐hydroxymethyl‐2‐furancarboxylic acid rather than via 2,5‐diformylfuran, which is in agreement with HPLC results. This study not only reports a low‐cost active electrocatalyst material for the electrochemical oxidation of HMF to FDCA, but additionally provides insight into the reaction pathway.