Highly Efficient Biomass Upgrading by a Ni−Cu Electrocatalyst Featuring Passivation of Water Oxidation Activity

Abstract Electricity‐driven organo‐oxidations have shown an increasing potential recently. However, oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is the primary competitive reaction, especially under high current densities, which leads to low Faradaic efficiency (FE) of the product and catalyst detachment from the electrode. Here, we report a bimetallic Ni−Cu electrocatalyst supported on Ni foam (Ni−Cu/NF) to passivate the OER process while the oxidation of 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is significantly enhanced. A current density of 1000 mA cm −2 can be achieved at 1.50 V vs . reversible hydrogen electrode, and both FE and yield keep close to 100 % over a wide range of potentials. Both experimental results and theoretical…

• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Award: 22109128
• NK
  National Key Research and Development Program of China

  Award: 2022YFA0911900