Development of nickel vanadium-impregnated activated carbon nanocomposites for electrocatalytic conversion of furfural into fuels

Abstract

Furfural, derived from biomass, is crucial for achieving carbon neutrality through biomass utilization. It can be converted into furfuryl alcohol and other valuable components used in the chemical industry. Electrochemical methods offer improved selectivity in the conversion of furfural under mild conditions compared to traditional hydrogenation. This study investigates the electrocatalytic conversion of furfural using a hydrothermally synthesized nickel-vanadium-impregnated activated carbon (NiV/AC) catalyst. The developed catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The as-developed catalyst was used to synthesize electrodes for the electrochemical conversion of furfural. The behavior was investigated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV). The study optimized the Ni:V ratio, applied voltages, electrolyte molarity and reaction time and found that a Ni:V ratio of 1:1 resulted in maximum furfural conversion. The Ag/AgCl cathode at -0.9 V showed a low reaction rate, thus requiring higher voltages for efficient conversion. LC-UV-ESI MS analysis of the cathode half-reaction revealed the formation of a nitrogen-containing compound, likely stemming from the reaction between furfural and acetonitrile under the influence of the catalyst. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of NiV/AC catalysts in the electrocatalytic conversion of furfural, with a conversion rate of 90% and a faradaic efficiency of around 30% at -1.3 V. Furthermore, a plausible reaction mechanism was proposed.