Catalyst designed to upgrade biomass and hydrogen generation

Biomass is one of the world’s most abundant renewable energy sources. Through catalytic conversion, biomass can be converted into a variety of fuels and chemicals that can be used in place of conventional fossil fuels, so contributing significantly to the objective of “carbon peak and carbon neutrality.”

When solar energy is used in catalytic reactions, it can significantly decrease the energy usage path and increase the sustainability of the reaction process.

Researchers at NIMTE produced a hydrangea-like Co3O4 on cobalt foam as an effective electrocatalyst using sulfuration and in-situ electrochemical oxidation.

By changing the brightness of a commercial solar cell, an approximately steady voltage of 1.600.02 V was obtained. The created Co3O4 catalyst can totally convert biomass 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) with a yield of 93.2 percent, a faradaic efficiency (FE) of 92.9 percent, and a hydrogen yield of 99.8 percent when exposed to natural sunlight.

In comparison to the conventional thermally driven method for converting HMF to FDCA, which typically requires high temperatures, high pressures, harsh reaction conditions, and even expensive precious metal catalysts, the photovoltaic electrocatalytic technology proposed in this study based on earth-abundant biomass demonstrates numerous advantages, including mild reaction conditions, low production costs, high energy efficiency, and superior operating safety.

Additionally, the researchers have applied for and been granted eight innovation patents on related technology. This paper outlines a road forward for bio-based high-value chemical and hydrogen production on a sustainable basis.

This work was funded financially by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China, and the Zhejiang Province’s Key Research and Development Program.