One-pot preparation of CuOx-CoOy heterostructure decorated on graphene for highly efficient oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) to 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA)

Dense CuO x -CoO y nano-heterostructures were uniformly assembled on the surface of graphene via surfactant induced assembly and hydrolysis with the presence of PVP and NaBH 4 . As-prepared CuO x -CoO y -PVP/G composite exhibited excellent performance for selective oxidation of 5-HMF to FDCA in aqueous solution with NaClO as oxidant at 30 °C, which is comparable to noble metal catalysts. The outstanding performance can be attributed to fascinating synergetic contributions from the CuO x -CoO y heterostructure on graphene substrate, giving improved interfacial contact, increased active sites and accelerated electron transfer process to promote the catalytic reaction. This work provides a high-performing catalyst for oxidation of 5-HMF to FDCA, as well as an ideal design of metal-oxide heterostructures/graphene composite catalysts for more broad applications.