Recent progress of Cu-based electrocatalysts for upgrading biomass-derived furanic compounds

The electrochemical upgradation of biomass feedstock has attracted significant interest as it allows the carbon cycle of decentralized and energy-poor resources in the absence of sinks and sources of high-grade heat. Over the past few years, remarkable progress has been made in the electrochemical hydrogenation and oxidation of furanic molecules (e.g., furfural and 5-hydroxymethyl furfural) on Cu-based catalysts. The elaborate designing of active surfaces is paramount for the efficient and selective conversion towards value-added alcohols, alkanes, and carboxylic acids. In this review, the relevant efforts and progress to access insights into the electrochemical processes are outlined. It first briefly introduces the reaction fundamentals and then successively discusses the representative achievement in the catalytic performance and mechanism of Cu-based electrocatalysts, and the further improvement of electronic efficiencies by pairing cathodic hydrogenation with anodic oxidation in a single electrolysis system. Finally, the future development of electrocatalysts and electrolysis techniques is anticipated. This review will be instructive in exploiting cost-efficient catalysts based on transition metals for the electrochemical refining of biomass feedstock and beyond.

Automated summary

The electrochemical upgradation of biomass feedstock is important for achieving carbon cycle without high-grade heat sources. Notably, Cu-based catalysts enable efficient and selective conversion of furanic molecules through electrochemical hydrogenation and oxidation. This review provides insights into the electrochemical processes and discusses the achievements in catalytic performance, mechanism, and electronic efficiency improvement. Future developments in electrocatalysts and electrolysis techniques are also anticipated.