Electrochemical processes can be implemented for the valorization of biomass-derived species such as furfural to generate fine chemicals and fuels. The electrochemical hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis (ECH) of furfural (FF) can...
Furfural undergoes hydrogenation to furfuryl alcohol and hydrogenolysis to 2-methylfuran in electrolytic reactors over Cu catalysts in acidic electrolytes. This process can be paired with intermittent electricity to assist in creating a circular economy that can close the carbon cycle. The impact of different reactor parameters such as pH, applied potential, and furfural concentration have been identified1, however there is limited work showing a mechanistic understanding of the reactions which is important for understanding the kinetics of the reactions and for design of reactors.In this work, the equations governing the current-potential relations were used to compare to the experimental work of furfural electroreduction in acidic electrolyte. By assuming different rate limiting steps, theoretical Tafel slopes were derived and insights into the mechanisms of electrochemical hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis reactions are presented.[1] May, Andrew S., and Elizabeth J. Biddinger. "Strategies to control electrochemical hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis of furfural and minimize undesired side reactions." ACS Catalysis 10, no. 5 (2020): 3212-3221
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.