Selective photoelectrocatalytic oxidation of 5-(hydroxymethyl)-2-furaldehyde in water by using Pt loaded nanotube structure of TiO 2 on Ti photoanodes

Abstract Photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) synthesis of 2,5-furandicarbaldehyde (FDC) from 5-(hydroxymethyl)-2-furaldehyde (HMF) has been performed in water by using TiO 2 films on Ti layer prepared by thermal annealing of Ti (Ti/TiO 2 ) and TiO 2 nanotube on Ti (Ti/TiO 2 NT) prepared by anodic oxidation as photoanodes. The latter ones showed better activity. In order to improve both activity and selectivity, Ti/TiO 2 NT was loaded with Pt by photoreduction method. 5-Formyl-2-furoic acid (FFA) was also produced by using Pt loaded Ti/TiO 2 NT photoanodes. The photoanodes were characterised by using XRD, SEM and XPS techniques. Allotropic phase of TiO 2 photoanodes was mainly rutile, whereas trace amounts of anatase phase were found in some samples of TiO 2 nanotube photoanodes. The distribution of TiO 2 nanotubes on Ti are well organised. In addition, primary particle sizes of TiO 2 were increased by increasing thermal treatment temperature; however primary particle sizes of TiO 2 in Ti/TiO 2 NT are higher than that of other samples. The photoanode preparation temperature, bias and medium pH were optimised by following PEC HMF oxidation reaction. Photocatalytic and electrocatalytic HMF oxidations were also performed for comparison and negligible activities were observed. Finally efficient Pt loaded Ti/TiO 2 NT photoanodes were investigated for PEC selective and active FDC (selectivity up to 40%) and FFA (selectivity up to 18%) syntheses in environmental friendly conditions.