Electrooxidation of furfural on an electrodeposited NiMoP electrode to simultaneously produce hydrogen and 2-furancarboxylic acid at industrial current levels

Abstract

The electrocatalytic oxidation of furfural (FA) for the production of valuable chemicals, such as 2-furancarboxylic acid (FAC), presents an attractive alternative to the sluggish oxygen evolution reaction during water electrolysis for hydrogen production. However, the activity and stability of the current electrocatalysts still require further enhancement. In this study, NiMoP is fabricated on Ni foam through pulsed electrodeposition to facilitate the electrooxidation of FA for FAC production in an alkaline environment. A low voltage of 1.43 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) is adequate to achieve a current density of 500 mA cm⁻², with FAC selectivity and Faraday efficiency reaching 97.5 % and 95.2 %, respectively. The extended electrolysis of FA using a continuous-flow electrolytic cell under high current density (500 mA cm⁻²) demonstrates consistent stability at a cell voltage around 1.8 V over a 35-h duration.