Dynamic Interplay of Dissolved Ions and Solid Surfaces Enables Efficient Nonalkaline Biomass Electrooxidation
- 1Fudan University , , ,
- 2Shanghai Institute of Ceramics Chinese Academy of Sciences (SICCAS) , , ,
Abstract
Earth-abundant transition-metal electrocatalysts often degrade in acidic or neutral media due to reconstruction and leaching, hindering their use for deep electrooxidation processes like the conversion of biomass-derived 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), a key monomer for sustainable plastics. Here, we report that under nonalkaline conditions, cobalt ions (Co2+) and electrodeposited cobalt (oxy)hydroxide surfaces, maintained in a dynamic dissolution/deposition equilibrium, act synergistically to drive efficient HMF oxidation. Carboxylate anions, particularly propionate, stabilize dissolved Co2+ as active complexes that are enriched at the electrode interface, while the heterogeneous surfaces facilitate substrate adsorption. This cooperative mechanism enables deep oxidation to FDCA. By optimizing this equilibrium with a potassium propionate electrolyte, we achieved a 93.3% FDCA yield using only 1 mM Co2+. Coupling this anodic process with the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) allows for low-voltage FDCA production from which FDCA precipitates directly at high concentrations without acidification. This synergy between homogeneous complexes and heterogeneous surfaces offers a new paradigm for stable and efficient electrocatalysis under mild conditions.
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BibTeX
@article{lei2026dynamic,
title = {{Dynamic Interplay of Dissolved Ions and Solid Surfaces Enables Efficient Nonalkaline Biomass Electrooxidation}},
author = {Can Lei and Yuanyuan Meng and Hongrui Sheng and Shaoyan Wang and Xudong Liu and Xianying Wang and Ming Gong},
journal = {ACS Central Science},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1021/acscentsci.6c00851},
url = {https://pubs.acs.org/acscii/article/doi/10.1021/acscentsci.6c00851/5456180/Dynamic-Interplay-of-Dissolved-Ions-and-Solid},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Dynamic Interplay of Dissolved Ions and Solid Surfaces Enables Efficient Nonalkaline Biomass Electrooxidation
AU - Can Lei
AU - Yuanyuan Meng
AU - Hongrui Sheng
AU - Shaoyan Wang
AU - Xudong Liu
AU - Xianying Wang
AU - Ming Gong
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/22
JO - ACS Central Science
DO - 10.1021/acscentsci.6c00851
UR - https://pubs.acs.org/acscii/article/doi/10.1021/acscentsci.6c00851/5456180/Dynamic-Interplay-of-Dissolved-Ions-and-Solid
AB - Earth-abundant transition-metal electrocatalysts often degrade in acidic or neutral media due to reconstruction and leaching, hindering their use for deep electrooxidation processes like the conversion of biomass-derived 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), a key monomer for sustainable plastics. Here, we report that under nonalkaline conditions, cobalt ions (Co2+) and electrodeposited cobalt (oxy)hydroxide surfaces, maintained in a dynamic dissolution/deposition equilibrium, act synergistically to drive efficient HMF oxidation. Carboxylate anions, particularly propionate, stabilize dissolved Co2+ as active complexes that are enriched at the electrode interface, while the heterogeneous surfaces facilitate substrate adsorption. This cooperative mechanism enables deep oxidation to FDCA. By optimizing this equilibrium with a potassium propionate electrolyte, we achieved a 93.3% FDCA yield using only 1 mM Co2+. Coupling this anodic process with the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) allows for low-voltage FDCA production from which FDCA precipitates directly at high concentrations without acidification. This synergy between homogeneous complexes and heterogeneous surfaces offers a new paradigm for stable and efficient electrocatalysis under mild conditions.
SN - 2374-7943
SN - 2374-7951
ER -