Engineering High-Valent Ni 3+ ‒O Active Sites through Pd Incorporation in NiCo-MOF/Ni-Foam for Enhanced 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural Electrooxidation

Key Points

• The aim is to enhance the performance of nickel-based catalysts for HMF electro-oxidation by incorporating palladium.
• Synthesize NiCo-MOF/Ni-foam catalysts with varying Pd incorporation levels.
• Test the electro-oxidation activity of these catalysts on 5-hydroxymethylfurfural.
• Evaluate the selectivity for 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid and co-production of green hydrogen.
• Catalysts with high-valent Ni³⁺ active sites showed significantly higher electro-oxidation activity.
• An optimal palladium incorporation level resulted in the best selectivity for FDCA.
• The catalysts maintained low costs while achieving high activity, supporting green hydrogen production.