Research on hydrogen production and degradation of corn straw by circular electrolysis with polyoxometalate (POM) catalyst

Converting corn straw into high-value chemicals and H 2 energy is of great significance to the effective utilization of biomass resources . Based on the proton exchange membrane electrolysis technology, a circular electrolysis system for H 2 evolution and corn straw degradation was built using polyoxometalate (POM) catalysts as redox media and charge carriers. Under mild conditions (80 °C), the influence of factors such as reaction temperature, reaction time, catalyst concentration, and current density on the research system was explored. As a result, the efficient use of corn straw has been realized. The degradation rate of corn straw was as high as 63.48%, and the Faraday efficiency of H 2 production by electrolysis reaches 94.54%. The degradation products of corn straw were characterized and analyzed by SEM , FT-IR, XPS , GC-MS, and 2D HSQC NMR. This technique provides a potentially new pathway for H 2 production and corn straw processing.