Converting biomass into high-value chemicals is a key challenge in sustainable chemistry. One important target is 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), a crucial monomer for biodegradable plastics. However, conventional electrocatalytic routes for converting 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to FDCA require high voltages (>1.4 V), leading to high energy consumption, competing reactions, and catalyst degradation.
In a recent study, researchers designed a Pt–CuO x interfacial catalyst that enables direct electrooxidation of HMF at significantly lower voltages. By engineering Cu δ+ –O–Pt interfaces, the team altered the reaction pathway and overcame the key kinetic barrier to C–H bond activation.
Mechanistic studies combining density functional theory (DFT) and in situ spectroscopy revealed that the interface modifies adsorption geometry and facilitates low-energy reaction pathways. Unlike conventional catalysts, the interfacial oxygen species directly participate in the rate-determining step, reducing the energy barrier and suppressing side reactions such as decarbonylation and CO poisoning.
As a result, the optimized catalyst achieved 99.1% FDCA selectivity and 93.8% yield at only 0.75 V vs. RHE. The catalyst also demonstrated excellent durability, maintaining over 90% selectivity for more than 110 hours under continuous operation in a flow reactor.
This work establishes a clear design principle: interfacial engineering can simultaneously regulate adsorption, reaction kinetics, and catalyst stability. The findings provide a general strategy for low-energy electrocatalytic biomass valorization and may accelerate the development of sustainable chemical manufacturing.
Science Bulletin
Experimental study