Simultaneous Electrochemical Upgrading of Biomass and CO2 Utilization Using Fe/Ni-Derived Carbon Nanotubes Derived from CO2

Abstract

Fossil fuel consumption has caused petroleum shortages and increased carbon emissions; thus, utilizing renewable resources in biorefineries for biomass-derived chemical synthesis is promising. Among them, 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) is a key alternative to terephthalic acid (PTA) for sustainable polyester production. In this work, we demonstrate an efficient approach for the simultaneous production of FDCA while utilizing carbon dioxide (CO₂) via an electrochemical approach. Complete electrooxidation of hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) at the anode yields FDCA, while CO₂ reduction at the cathode produces valuable compounds such as carbon monoxide (CO). This concurrent HMF electrooxidation and CO₂ electroreduction strategy enables high-value chemical production at mild conditions. In addition, we developed efficient single catalysts, FeNi metals supported on CO₂-derived multi-walled carbon nanotubes deposited on nickel foam (FeNiCNTs/NF) as both the anode and the cathode for HMF oxidation and CO2 reduction, respectively. Remarkably, faradaic efficiencies reached 99.60% for FDCA (FEFDCA) at the anode and 96.25% for CO (FECO) at the cathode. This study highlights the effective use of synthesized non-noble metals supported on CO₂-derived CNTs for integrated biorefinery and CO₂ utilization.