Reductive biomass conversion has been conventionally conducted using H₂ gas under high-temperature and -pressure conditions. In this study, efficient electrochemical reduction of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), a key intermediate for biomass conversion, to 2,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)furan (BHMF), an important monomer for industrial processes, was demonstrated using Ag catalytic electrodes. This process uses water as the hydrogen source under ambient conditions and eliminates the need to generate and consume H₂ for hydrogenation, providing a practical and efficient route for BHMF production. By systematic investigation of HMF reduction on the Ag electrode surface, BHMF production was achieved with the Faradaic efficiency and selectivity nearing 100%, and plausible reduction mechanisms were also elucidated. Furthermore, construction of a photoelectrochemical cell (PEC) composed of an n-type BiVO₄ semiconductor anode, which uses photogenerated holes for water oxidation, and a catalytic Ag cathode, which uses photoexcited electrons from BiVO₄ for the reduction of HMF to BHMF, was demonstrated to utilize solar energy to significantly decrease the external voltage necessary for HMF reduction. This shows the possibility of coupling electrochemical HMF reduction and solar energy conversion, which can provide more efficient and environmentally benign routes for reductive biomass conversion.

中文翻译：

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以水为氢源，将5-羟甲基糠醛高效且选择性地电化学和光电化学还原为2,5-双（羟甲基）呋喃

还原性生物质转化通常是在高温和高压条件下使用H ₂气体进行的。在这项研究中，使用银催化电极证明了将生物质转化的关键中间体5-羟甲基糠醛（HMF）有效电化学还原为工业过程中重要的单体2,5-双（羟甲基）呋喃（BHMF）。该过程在环境条件下将水用作氢源，从而消除了产生和消耗H _{2的需要。}用于加氢，为BHMF生产提供了一种实用而有效的途径。通过对银电极表面HMF还原的系统研究，法拉第效率和选择性接近100％时，BHMF的生产得以实现，并且还阐明了合理的还原机理。此外，构建了一个光电化学电池（PEC），该电池由使用光生空穴进行水氧化的n型BiVO ₄半导体阳极和使用来自BiVO _4的光激发电子的催化Ag阴极组成用于将HMF还原为BHMF的方法，已证明利用太阳能来显着降低HMF还原所需的外部电压。这显示了将电化学HMF还原与太阳能转化耦合的可能性，这可以为还原性生物质转化提供更有效和环境友好的途径。