In-situ surface reconstruction of silver leads to competent activity for the electrocatalytic hydrogenation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural

Abstract

Electrochemical reconstruction is a well-documented phenomenon in electrocatalysis, yet it has rarely been purposefully harnessed to enhance catalyst performance in a controllable manner. In this study, we introduce a rational electrochemical reconstructing strategy using Ag as a model electrocatalyst and the electrocatalytic hydrogenation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)furan (BHMF) as a benchmark reaction. Through a simple yet effective electrochemical reconstruction approach, we generated preferentially oriented Ag nanoparticles (PO-Ag NPs) with more exposure of the Ag(110) facets, which exhibited significantly enhanced activity and selectivity compared to pristine Ag. The Faradaic efficiency of PO-Ag NPs for HMF hydrogenation reached above 95% with a selectivity exceeding 98%. Comprehensive electrochemical, spectroscopic, and computational investigations identify the preferential adsorption of HMF on the Ag(110) facet as the primary factor contributing to the enhanced performance. Furthermore, PO-Ag NPs demonstrated excellent long-term stability, retaining high activity and selectivity over extended electrolysis cycles. These findings highlight electrochemical reconstruction as a powerful and controllable strategy for designing highly efficient electrocatalysts, with broad implications for a wide range of electrochemical transformations beyond hydrogenation.