Electrochemical alcohol oxidation reaction on Precious‐Metal‐Free catalysts: Mechanism, activity, and selectivity

Abstract

The electrochemical alcohol oxidation reaction (AOR) is pivotal for the development of sustainable energy. The complete oxidation of alcohols has attracted extensive attention as a vital process in fuel cells. Moreover, as an alternative reaction to the oxygen evolution reaction, the selective oxidation of alcohols emerges as an effective means to lower the energy expenditure associated with electrolytic hydrogen production while yielding high‐value products. Nonprecious metal materials have been widely applied in the selective oxidation catalysis of alcohols due to their cost‐effectiveness and excellent durability. In recent years, leveraging the advantages of nonprecious metal materials in electrocatalytic AOR, researchers have delved into catalytic mechanisms and various efficient catalysts have been fabricated and evaluated. This review provides an overview of the current advancements in the electrocatalytic selective oxidation of diverse alcohols and the catalytic systems centered around nonprecious metal materials. It systematically summarizes the shared traits and distinctions in catalytic reaction characteristics across various systems, thereby laying the theoretical foundation for developing novel catalyst systems that are efficient, stable, and highly selective. This review will facilitate the utilization of nonprecious metal catalysts further toward the electrocatalytic oxidation of alcohols.

Evaluating the impact of anodic oxidation reactions on water splitting using Prussian blue analog-derived metal-(oxy)hydroxides

“…Previous studies based on the density functional theory (DFT) calculations have also revealed a similar reaction pathway for the oxidation of BA to Ph-COOH. 53–57 The rate determining step during BA oxidation was determined to be the conversion of Ph-COH* to Ph-COOH 53–57…”