Beyond active sites: interfacial water engineering with single-atom Ni-WC _<i>x</i> for concurrent energy storage and biomass conversion.

ABSTRACT: Coupling biomass valorization with rechargeable metal-air batteries offers a promising strategy to address energy storage and sustainable synthesis challenges. However, it demands highly active bifunctional catalysts capable of replacing the sluggish oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with value-added biomass electrooxidation. We report here a single-atom nickel-decorated tungsten carbide (Ni-WC _x ) catalyst that demonstrates exceptional bifunctional activity for both the oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The catalyst achieves near-quantitative conversion of HMF to furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) with 99% selectivity and shows excellent ORR performance, featuring a half-wave potential (E _1/2) of 0.855 V. Throu

SUBMITTER: He X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12766742 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature