Optimizing Electrochemical Furfural Hydrogenation on Pt via Bimetallic Colocalization of Cu

Electrochemical hydrogenation of furfural (EHF) to furfuryl alcohol (FA) presents a promising, yet challenging, avenue due to its inherently low performance and selectivity. In this study, we introduce a highly efficient and selective electrochemical system for FA production, employing a PtCu catalyst within a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA). Comprehensive investigations, including electrochemical kinetic analysis, material characterizations, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, reveal that the incorporation of Cu onto Pt surfaces reduces the energy barrier for the proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) reaction of adsorbed furfural and optimizes the adsorption energy for intermediates. These enhancements significantly increase the reaction rate and selectivity for FA production. The optimized PtCu catalyst exhibits high EHF performance in the MEA system, achieving a Faradaic efficiency exceeding 80% for FA at a current density of 30 mA cm–2 with a cell voltage of 1.7 V.