Titanium Oxide-Confined Manganese Oxide for One-Step Electrocatalytic Preparation of 2,5-Furandicarboxylic Acid in Acidic Media

The electrochemical conversion of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) is an attractive strategy for producing sustainable substitutes for petroleum-derived polymers. Developing acidic electrocatalysis system is of great significance for the separation of FDCA and improves the efficiency of the whole electrolyzer, which is limited by the availability of effective catalysts. Here, we report a TiOx@MnOx electrocatalyst, which can obtain FDCA precipitation in one-step in acidic media. The TiOx@MnOx catalyst with the active MnOx species confined in the acid-resistant TiOx nanowires, and obtained a consistent yield of FDCA precipitation in the continuous conversion of 100 mM HMF (similar to 24 % under the stoichiometric charge). Electrochemical impedance analyses and electrolysis experiments revealed that the catalytic performance of TiOx@MnOx is related to the concentration of HMF. Further research found that the electrolyzer, electrolysis potential, reaction temperature, and HMF concentration affect the yield and FE of FDCA. This work demonstrates TiOx@MnOx is a practical and inexpensive catalyst for the sustainable synthesis of FDCA in an acidic electrocatalysis system.