Ionic liquids modified electrochemical interfaces for enhanced biomass valorization

Electrochemical oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) offers a sustainable route for biomass valorization. The technoeconomic viability of this promising route, however, hinges on developing efficient electrocatalysts. Moving beyond conventional structural engineering of catalysts, we introduce a surface modification strategy using a small amount of hydrophobic ionic liquids (ILs) to adjust the local electrochemical microenvironment. Specifically, by modifying a porous conductive metal organic framework (Ni-HHTP) with [MTBD][NTf 2 ], the FDCA yield and Faradaic efficiency (FE) are significantly enhanced to 99.9% and 97.0%, respectively, along with a threefold increase in FDCA production rate compared to the unmodified catalyst. Mechanistic studies reveal that the ILs facilitate HMF enrichment at the catalyst surface while preventing water-induced blockage of active sites. This work highlights the transformative potential of interfacial engineering with ILs as a versatile strategy for advancing electrocatalytic systems in biomass conversion applications.