Green chemical process for continuous production of high-purity 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid in anion exchange membrane flow electrolyzer

The electrooxidation of biomass platform molecules to produce highly value-added chemicals represents a promising technology for biomass utilization and carbon emission reduction. However, low production capacity and the lack of well-established engineering paradigms have constrained the practical application of this technology. Here, a green chemical process for the anion-exchange membrane (AEM) electrocatalytic 5-hydroxymethylfurfural oxidation (AEM-HMFOR) is proposed and applied to 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) production, with subsequent separation and purification. We demonstrate an optimized hundred-watt-scale AEM-HMFOR stack (164.8 W) for continuous FDCA production, with a high Faradaic efficiency (94.6%) and FDCA yield (96.2%) at 100% single-pass conversion efficiency (SPCE). This stack operates stably for over 100 hours with a space-time yield (STY) of 367.2 mg h−1 cm−2. A membrane separation device is employed to purify FDCA with an overall purity of 99.8%. Techno-economic analysis (TEA) and life cycle assessment (LCA) have certified the economic viability and environmental sustainability of the proposed AEM-HMFOR technology. These findings represent a significant advancement in the practical application of large-scale AEM-HMFOR systems coupled to green H2 production. Electrooxidation of biomass-derived molecules into value-added chemicals is promising but remains a challenge. Here, the authors report an integrated catalysis and purification process achieves stable synthesis of high-purity 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid in a hundred-watt-level electrolyzer.