Utilizing Waste Heat to Drive Selective Green Organic Conversion through a Thermoelectrocatalytic Process

Utilizing waste heat from environmental or industrial sources is a promising strategy for eco‐friendly and sustainable chemical synthesis. Here, a pioneering thermoelectrocatalytic (TECatal) system that can harness minimal heat diffusion for selective organic conversions is demonstrated. The proof‐of‐concept demonstrates a TECatal nanohybrid consisting of a thermoelectric (TE) Bi 2 Te 3 nanoflake core with a Fe‐doped UiO‐66 metal‐organic framework shell (Bi 2 Te 3 /Fe‐UiO‐66). This nanohybrid catalyst significantly enhances H 2 O 2 production in water at small temperature differences (≈10–60 K) and enables a unique TECatal‐Fenton‐like process, effectively converting benzyl alcohol into benzaldehyde. This process leverages H 2 O 2 generated via the TECatal effect to react with Fe 2+ in the Fe‐UiO‐66, producing highly active •OH radicals for selective oxidation. The Fe‐UiO‐66 coating exhibits triple functionality: separating TE‐generated charges, enhancing surface active sites, and preventing Bi 2 Te 3 oxidation. Scaling up this catalysis to a 2 L volume, powered solely by a low‐temperature waste heat source (Δ T = ≈50 K), demonstrates continuous production of benzaldehyde with a high conversion ratio of 81.3% and superior selectivity of over 99% in 8 h. This successful endeavor highlights the great potential of TE nanomaterials in recycling waste thermal energy for green chemistry, marking a significant advancement toward economical and sustainable practices.