Electrochemical reductive ring-opening (ERR) of biomass-derived 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) under mild conditions represents an efficient and sustainable route for the production of value-added chemicals. However, the effectiveness of this process is often limited by the low catalytic activity and poor stability of catalysts in highly acidic environments. Herein, we systematically screen and identify biomass-derived carbon-supported Cu-Zn dual-atom active sites as highly efficient catalysts for the EER of HMF to 2,5-hexanediol (HD), achieving a high selectivity of 91.6% and a productivity of 190.7 μmol mgcat-1 h-1, alongside an impressive Faradaic efficiency of 90.2%. This performance surpasses that of previously reported systems by an order of magnitude, highlighting its significant economic potential, as evidenced by comprehensive technoeconomic analysis. In situ electrochemical characterizations, combined with theoretical studies, suggest that the ERR of HMF is induced by surface-adsorbed hydrogen through a concerted proton-electron transfer mechanism. The outstanding catalytic performance is attributed to the synergistic interaction between Cu and Zn active sites in the dual-atom catalyst. This study provides a promising electrochemical reductive approach for the efficient conversion of biomass derivatives into high-value chemicals and achieves comprehensive utilization of biomass resources.
Fang et al. (Tue,) studied this question.