Recent advances of Ni-based electrocatalyst for driving selective electrooxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural into 2,5-furandicarbox-ylic acid

The selective electrooxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) is of great significance in replacing terephthalic acid for the production of high-performance polymeric materials. This necessitates the development of advanced electrocatalysts. Ni-based nanomaterials, known for their unique electronic structure and high intrinsic activity, show great promise for the selective electrooxidation of HMF to FDCA. To provide guidance for the further development of advanced HMF electrocatalysts, we present a comprehensive review of recent progress in this field, focusing on HMFOR mechanisms, effective engineering strategies (e.g., morphology design, defect engineering, interface engineering, and strain engineering) for improving electrocatalytic performance, and representative Ni-based catalysts used for HMFOR. Finally, we offer a conclusion and highlight the challenging issues that need to be addressed, providing researchers with direction for future endeavors.