Enhanced Reaction Kinetics of Highly Selective Oxidation of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural to 2,5-Furandicarboxylic Acid over NiCo<sub>2</sub>S<sub>4</sub>.

Wang, Linlin; Chen, Lin; Xu, Ruirui; Khan, Mohd Adnan; Zhao, Jun; Yu, Xinti; Björk, Jonas; Rosen, Johanna et al. · Nano Lett · 2025

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Selective valorization of biomass feedstocks and their derivatives, using renewable electricity to produce value-added chemicals, is a promising route to decarbonize the chemical industry. Herein, we demonstrate the selective production of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) from the electrocatalytic oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). NiCo<sub>2</sub>S<sub>4</sub> as an anode electrode exhibits almost 100% yield of FDCA with >90% Faradaic efficiency (FE) and high stability at optimized conditions, which outperforms pure NiS<sub><i>x</i></sub> and CoS<sub><i>x</i></sub>. Theoretical calculations reveal that the enhanced reaction kinetics for HMF conversion to FDCA on NiCo<sub>2</sub>S<sub>4</sub> arises from an optimal OH coverage and a more exergonic rate-limiting step compared with its monometallic counterparts. A techno-economic analysis (TEA) for a 100-ton/day FDCA industrial scale production facility reveals that the NiCo<sub>2</sub>S<sub>4</sub> catalyst could drive economic feasibility of the process. This work provides an economically feasible approach to sustainably produce FDCA from HMF oxidation by electrocatalysis.