Selective electrooxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural at pilot scale by engineering a solid polymer electrolyte reactor

IF 42.8 1区化学 Q1 CHEMISTRY, PHYSICAL

Nature Catalysis Pub Date : 2025-07-17 DOI:10.1038/s41929-025-01374-x

Yue Ren, Wei Kong, Yang Li, Wang Zhan, Chunyu Zhang, Yuhang Miao, Bingxin Yao, Shengnan Li, Zhenhua Li, Xiang Liu, Sheng Zhan, Hua Zhou, Mingfei Shao, Haohong Duan

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Abstract

Aqueous electrolysis offers a potential sustainable route for converting biomass derivatives to plastic monomers, such as 5-hydroxymethylfurfural oxidation to 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA). However, selective electrosynthesis of high-concentration FDCA at kilowatt scale and ampere-level current density remains an unmet challenge, hindering commercialization. Here we show an engineered solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) reactor to steer Faradaic and non-Faradaic side reactions, achieving FDCA production at an industrially relevant current density (1.5 A cm⁻²) while maintaining high selectivity (97.0%), Faradaic efficiency (88.2%) and concentration (~1.24 M). The stability of the SPE reactor was demonstrated in continuous operation at 0.5 A cm⁻² over 140 h. Moreover, a 4.3-kW electrochemical platform was constructed with a scale-out strategy, reaching a pilot-scale FDCA production rate (33 kg per day). This work shows the capability of reactor engineering to enable selective and large-scale production of sustainable chemicals via electrochemical processes.

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固体聚合物电解质反应器中试规模下5-羟甲基糠醛选择性电氧化研究

水电解为将生物质衍生物转化为塑料单体提供了一种潜在的可持续途径，例如5-羟甲基糠醛氧化为2,5-呋喃二羧酸（FDCA）。然而，在千瓦级和安培级电流密度下选择性电合成高浓度FDCA仍然是一个未解决的挑战，阻碍了商业化。在这里，我们展示了一个工程固体聚合物电解质（SPE）反应器来引导法拉第副反应和非法拉第副反应，在工业相关的电流密度（1.5 A cm−2）下实现FDCA的生产，同时保持高选择性（97.0%），法拉第效率（88.2%）和浓度（~1.24 M）。在0.5 A cm−2下连续运行140 h，证明了SPE反应器的稳定性。此外，采用规模化策略构建了4.3 kw电化学平台，达到了中试规模的FDCA生产速率（33 kg / d）。这项工作表明，反应器工程能够通过电化学过程实现可持续化学品的选择性和大规模生产。

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来源期刊

Nature Catalysis Chemical Engineering-Bioengineering

CiteScore

52.10

自引率

1.10%

发文量

140

期刊介绍： Nature Catalysis serves as a platform for researchers across chemistry and related fields, focusing on homogeneous catalysis, heterogeneous catalysis, and biocatalysts, encompassing both fundamental and applied studies. With a particular emphasis on advancing sustainable industries and processes, the journal provides comprehensive coverage of catalysis research, appealing to scientists, engineers, and researchers in academia and industry. Maintaining the high standards of the Nature brand, Nature Catalysis boasts a dedicated team of professional editors, rigorous peer-review processes, and swift publication times, ensuring editorial independence and quality. The journal publishes work spanning heterogeneous catalysis, homogeneous catalysis, and biocatalysis, covering areas such as catalytic synthesis, mechanisms, characterization, computational studies, nanoparticle catalysis, electrocatalysis, photocatalysis, environmental catalysis, asymmetric catalysis, and various forms of organocatalysis.