Enhanced Reaction Kinetics of Highly Selective Oxidation of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural to 2,5-Furandicarboxylic Acid over NiCoS.

Selective valorization of biomass feedstocks and their derivatives, using renewable electricity to produce value-added chemicals, is a promising route to decarbonize the chemical industry. Herein, we demonstrate the selective production of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) from the electrocatalytic oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). NiCoS as an anode electrode exhibits almost 100% yield of FDCA with >90% Faradaic efficiency (FE) and high stability at optimized conditions, which outperforms pure NiS and CoS. Theoretical calculations reveal that the enhanced reaction kinetics for HMF conversion to FDCA on NiCoS arises from an optimal OH coverage and a more exergonic rate-limiting step compared with its monometallic counterparts. A techno-economic analysis (TEA) for a 100-ton/day FDCA industrial scale production facility reveals that the NiCoS catalyst could drive economic feasibility of the process. This work provides an economically feasible approach to sustainably produce FDCA from HMF oxidation by electrocatalysis.