Highly active NiFe LDH anchoring on cobalt carbonate hydroxide for efficient electrocatalytic 5-hydroxymethylfurfural oxidation towards 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid

One viable approach in reducing reliance on fossil fuels is the utilization of value-added chemicals through the conversion of biomass. In recent years, significant attention has been directed toward the production of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), a potentially useful bio-based building block generated by electrochemically oxidizing lignocellulose-derived 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). The key challenge is constructing active, inexpensive, and durable electrocatalysts for promoting HMF electrochemical reactions. Here, we present a simple route for fabricating NiFe layered double hydroxide (LDH)-anchored cobalt carbonate hydroxide (CoCH) on nickel foam (NiFe LDH/CoCH/NF) for HMF electrochemical oxidation. The as-developed NiFe LDH/CoCH/NF exhibits excellent electrocatalytic activity and robust stability, achieving 98.6% yield of FDCA and 98.1% high faradaic efficiency, as well as maintaining above 95% FDCA yield over five cycles of HMF conversion. The higher valence states of Ni, Fe, and Co with oxyhydroxide species most likely accounts for the enhanced electrocatalytic activity of NiFe LDH/CoCH/NF. The pleated nanosheet structure of NiFe LDH/CoCH/NF is also responsible for its improved catalytic HMF oxidation activity, which results in enriched active catalysis sites, facile electron transfer, and increased specific surface area. This work offers a practical technique for developing effective electrocatalysts towards HMF conversion.