Selective Ethylene Glycol Oxidation to Formate on Nickel Selenide with Simultaneous Evolution of Hydrogen

• DOI: 10.1002/advs.202300841
• Publication Date: 2023-03-23T06:51:08Z
• Authors: Junshan Li; Luming Li; Xingyu Ma; Xu Han; Congcong Xing; Xueqiang Qi; Ren He; Jordi Arbiol; Huiyan Pan; Jun Zhao; Jie Deng; Yu Zhang; Yaoyue Yang; Andreu Cabot
• Keywords: Oxygen evolution

There is an urgent need for cost-effective strategies to produce hydrogen from renewable net-zero carbon sources using energies. In this context, the electrochemical evolution reaction can be boosted by replacing oxygen with oxidation of small organic molecules, such as ethylene glycol (EG). EG a particularly interesting liquid two hydroxyl groups that transformed into variety C1 and C2 chemicals, depending on catalyst conditions. Here, demonstrated selective (EGOR) formate nickel selenide. The nanoparticle (NP) morphology crystallographic phase are tuned maximize its performance. optimized NiS electrocatalyst requires just 1.395 V drive current density 50 mA cm-2 in 1 m potassium hydroxide (KOH) EG. A combination situ infrared absorption spectroscopy (IRAS) monitor electrocatalytic process ex analysis electrolyte composition shows main EGOR product formate, Faradaic efficiency above 80%. Additionally, chemicals glycolate oxalate detected quantified minor products. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations show glycol-to-oxalate pathway favored via formation, where CC bond broken further electro-oxidized formate.