A comparative study of thermal- and electrocatalytic conversion of furfural: methylfuran as a primary and major product

Ni(1−x)Pdx Alloyed Nanostructures for Electrocatalytic Conversion of Furfural into Fuels

A continuous electrocatalytic reactor offers a promising method for producing fuels and value-added chemicals via electrocatalytic hydrogenation of biomass-derived compounds. However, such processes require a better understanding of the impact of different types of active electrodes and reaction conditions on electrocatalytic biomass conversion and product selectivity. In this work, Ni1−xPdx (x = 0.25, 0.20, and 0.15) alloyed nanostructures were synthesized as heterogeneous catalysts for the electrocatalytic conversion of furfural. Various analytical tools, including XRD, SEM, EDS, and TEM, were used to characterize the Ni1−xPdx catalysts. The alloyed catalysts, with varying Ni to Pd ratios, showed a superior electrocatalytic activity of over 65% for furfural conversion after 4.5 h of reaction. In addition, various experimental parameters on the furfural conversion reactions, including electrolyte pH, furfural (FF) concentration, reaction time, and applied potential, were investigated to tune the hydrogenated products. The results indicated that the production of 2-methylfuran as a primary product (S = 29.78% after 1 h), using Ni0.85Pd0.15 electrocatalyst, was attributed to the incorporation of palladium and thus the promotion of water-assisted proton transfer processes. Results obtained from this study provide evidence that alloying a common catalyst, such as Ni with small amounts of Pd metal, can significantly enhance its electrocatalytic activity and selectivity.

High-Grade Biofuel Synthesis from Paired Electrohydrogenation and Electrooxidation of Furfural Using Symmetric Ru/Reduced Graphene Oxide Electrodes

Electrochemical hydrogenation is a challenging technoeconomic process for sustainable liquid fuel production from biomass-derived compounds. In general, half-cell hydrogenation is paired with water oxidation to generate the low economic value of O₂ at the anode. Herein, a new strategy for the rational design of Ru/reduced graphene oxide (Ru/RGO) nanocomposites through a cost-effective and straightforward microwave irradiation technique is reported for the first time. The Ru nanoparticles with an average size of 3.5 nm are well anchored into the RGO frameworks with attractive nanostructures to enhance the furfural's paired electrohydrogenation (ECH) and electrooxidation (ECO) process to achieve high-grade biofuel. Furfural is used as a reactant with the paired electrolyzer to produce furfuryl alcohol and 2-methylfuran at the cathode side. Simultaneously, 2-furic acid and 5-hydroxyfuroic acid along with plenty of H⁺ and e^- are generated at the anode side. Most impressively, the paired electrolyzer induces an extraordinary ECH and ECO of furfural, with the desired production of 2-methylfuran (yield = 91% and faradic efficiency (FE) of 95%) at X_FF = 97%, outperforming the ECH half-cell reaction. The mechanisms of the half-cell reaction and paired cell reaction are discussed. Exquisite control of the reaction parameters, optimized strategies, and the yield of individual products are demonstrated. These results show that the Ru/RuO nanocomposite is a potential candidate for biofuel production in industrial sectors.

Kinetics of furfural electrochemical hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis in acidic media on copper

This article reports the competing kinetics and insights into the mechanisms of the electrochemical hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis of furfural to furfuryl alcohol and 2-methylfuran.

Comparing electrocatalytic and thermocatalytic conversion of nitrate on platinum–ruthenium alloys

Comparison between thermocatalytic and electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reactions highlights mechanistic similarities and differences between the two reactions.