In Situ Development of a 3D Cu-CeO<sub>2</sub> Catalyst Selective in the Electrocatalytic Hydrogenation of Biomass Furanic Compounds
Giancosimo Sanghez de Luna, Patrick Zeller, Eylül Öztuna, Francesco Maluta, Andrea Canciani, Francesca Ospitali, Phuoc Hoang Ho, Alessandro Paglianti, Axel Knop‐Gericke, Giuseppe Fornasari, Juan‐Jesús Velasco‐Vélez, Patricia Benito
Abstract
High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide The renewable electricity-driven electrocatalytic hydrogenation of biomass-derived furanic compounds produces biopolymer (polyurethane) precursors under mild reaction conditions. The widely used Ag and Cu electrocatalysts failed in the selective conversion of the aldehyde into the alcohol in concentrated electrolytes due to the contribution of the electrodimerization. Herein, we proposed 3D CeO 2 -based catalysts for the electrocatalytic hydrogenation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) electrolytes (0.02, 0.05, and 0.10 M) to 2,5-bishydroxymethylfuran (BHMF). An electrodeposition approach was adopted to coat CeO 2 on Cu open-cell foams. The ex-situ characterization of electrocatalysts revealed that they were made of a CeO 2 layer containing Cu species. The migration of Cu from the foam to the coating started during the electrodeposition, while the electroreduction conditions provoked the formation of Cu particles. The in situ characterization by X-ray absorption spectroscopy evidenced that the Ce 4+ to Ce 3+ reduction occurred just after the application of the cathodic potential; moreover, copper species were reduced to Cu 0 during the experiments. The combination of partially reduced CeO 2 and Cu particles not only provided selective reaction sites but also increased the electrical conductivity of the electrode. Consequently, the in situ-developed Cu-CeO 2 electrocatalysts promoted the selective electrocatalytic hydrogenation of the more concentrated 0.10 M HMF electrolytes, overperforming previously reported AgCu materials at −0.51 V vs RHE.