Biomass-derived B, N-doped carbon supporting Co for electrocatalytic oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural coupled with the hydrogen evolution reaction

Electrocatalytic production of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) from 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is a sustainable and clean pathway for harvesting both value-added chemicals and green hydrogen (H 2 ). Herein, B, N doped porous carbon supporting Co (Co/BN-C) with abundant pyridinic N-B species was constructed via a one-pot method using chitosan as precursors, which was further applied for the paired electrocatalysis of an HMF oxidation reaction (HMFOR) and H 2 evolution reaction (HER). H 3 BO 4 as a templating agent could increase the specific surface area of the catalyst and expose more active sites for the HMFOR. Meanwhile, H 3 BO 4 also acted as a B source to dope heteroatoms in the carbon matrix, creating surface defects and thus improving electrical conductivity. Besides, B, N-doped carbon substrate induced the electron deficiency of Co nanoparticle, resulting in the strong adsorption of HMF on the catalyst surface via the interactions between the aldehyde group/furan ring of HMF and the catalyst. Consequently, the Co/BN-C catalyst exhibited remarkable performance with a high HMF conversion (> 99%) and selectivity to FDCA (> 98%) and remained high activity after 8 cycles.