Atomic-Interface Effect of Single-Atom Ru/CoO x for Selective Electrooxidation of 5‑Hydroxymethylfurfural

• Published in: ACS applied materials & interfaces 2023-06, Vol.15 (23), p.28036-28043
• Main Authors: Gu, Wenlei, Pei, An, Zhang, Shiyi, Jiang, Feifei, Jia, Yanyan, Qin, Qizhen, Du, Ruian, Li, Zhengjian, Liu, Renfeng, Qiu, Yongcai, Yan, Keyou, Zhao, Yun, Liang, Cheng, Chen, Guangxu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Energy, Environmental, and Catalysis Applications
• ISSN: 1944-8244; 1944-8252
• DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c03430

The development of single-atom catalysts with effective interfaces for biomass conversion is a promising but challenging research area. In this study, a Ru1/CoO x catalyst was successfully fabricated with the impregnation method, which featured Ru single atoms on a cobalt oxide substrate. The Ru1/CoO x catalyst showed superior performance in the selective electrooxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to produce 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), a high value-added product. The introduction of Ru single atoms with an ultralow loading of ∼0.5 wt % was revealed to accelerate the electroredox of Co2+/Co3+/Co4+ and improve the intrinsic activity of the CoO x substrate with an FDCA selectivity of 76.5%, which is better than that of the pristine CoO x electrocatalysts (62.7%). The interfacial synergistic effect of the Ru1/CoO x interface clarified that Ru single atoms can enhance the adsorption of HMF at the Ru1/CoO x interface, which promoted the rate-determining step of the selective C–H bond activation for FDCA production. This finding provides valuable insights into the rational design of single-atom catalysts with functional interfaces for biomass upgrading.