University of Wisconsin-Madison chemistry professor Kyoung-Shin Choi and postdoctoral researcher Hyun Gil Cha have discovered a new process to split water into hydrogen and oxygen using photoelectrochemical solar cells (PECs).
A PEC is based on a new anode reaction, which requires less energy and is faster than water oxidation.
The anode reaction involves oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA). HMF is a key intermediate in biomass conversion while FDCA is an important molecule for the production of polymers.
Generally, high pressure oxygen is used for converting HMF to FDCA at high temperatures.
The new approach found by the researchers developed an electrochemical method to oxidize HMF to FDCA at room temperature and ambient pressure using water as the oxygen source.
Choi said: "Since the photoelectrochemical cell is built for the purpose of hydrogen production and HMF oxidation simply replaces oxygen production at the anode, in essence, no resources are used specifically for HMF oxidation."
The development of more diverse and efficient electrochemical and solar-driven biomass conversion processes is expected to boost efficiency and utility of solar-fuel-producing PECs, the researchers added.
