Bipolar hydrogen generation via furfural-water co-electrolysis over bifunctional CuPt catalysts

The high energy requirements of water electrolysis, driven largely by the sluggish kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), hinder its widespread application for hydrogen production. This study presents an innovative alternative by replacing OER with the thermodynamically favorable furfural oxidation reaction (FOR), utilizing a CuPt nanowire (NW)/Cu electrocatalyst. The incorporation of Pt into Cu NWs significantly enhances FOR activity, enabling the production of value-added furoic acid alongside hydrogen gas at reduced voltages. The CuPt NWs/Cu catalyst also exhibits excellent hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance in alkaline media. By employing CuPt NWs/Cu as both the anodic and cathodic catalyst, we develop a two-electrode electrolyzer that integrates FOR and HER, allowing simultaneous hydrogen production at both electrodes. Operating at a current density of 10 mA cm −2 , the system requires an exceptionally low cell voltage of 0.39 V and an electricity consumption of 0.47 kWh per m 3 H 2 , demonstrating its efficiency for energy-saving bipolar hydrogen generation.