Manipulation of Hydrogen Transfer Behaviors by RhCu Alloying Enables an All‐in‐one Sustainable “Furfural‐Nitrate” System

X Xin Long (Department of Mechanical Engineering) B Bin Zhao D Danni Liu G Guodong Fu (School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Southeast University Jiangning Nanjing Jiangsu 211189 China) H Hang Yang R Renfei Feng (Canadian Light Source Inc.) N Ning Chen (College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, and State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection) H Hekun Ding (Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Energy Electrocatalytic Materials Guangdong Research Center for Interfacial Engineering of Functional Materials Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Energy Materials Service Safety College of Materials Science and Engineering Shenzhen University Shenzhen 518060 China) J Jiayi Wu (Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 4, Singapore 117585, Singapore) Y Yuanfeng Liao (Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Energy Materials Service Safety, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Energy Electrocatalytic Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering) S Shaoqing Liu (Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University) Y Yu Zhang (Xiangya Hospital, Central South University Changsha China) X Xian‐Zhu Fu (Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Energy Electrocatalytic Materials Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Energy Materials Service Safety College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University Shenzhen Guangdong China) J Jing‐Li Luo (Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Energy Electrocatalytic Materials Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Energy Materials Service Safety College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University Shenzhen Guangdong China)

Abstract

Abstract Nitrate and furfural are typical wastes mainly from industrialization and agriculturalization progresses, and their clean conversions are still very challenging for a sustainable future. Nevertheless, scant attention has been devoted to the core issues: the rational integration of two wastes recycling and the targeted manipulation of hydrogen (H*) transfer behaviors to address their sluggish reaction kinetics. Herein, we report an all‐in‐one electrochemical energy system that is thermodynamically designed by coupling nitrate reduction (NO 3 RR) and furfural oxidation reactions (FORs) together. Particularly, the poor kinetics for both electrode reactions are efficaciously optimized by the bifunctional electrocatalyst of RhCu alloy nanowires on copper foam (RhCu NW/CF) with highly improved dual‐directional H*‐modulation performances, thus initializing NO 3 RR for NH 3 synthesis at +0.31 V and driving FOR for H 2 harvest at an onset potential lower than 0 V. Eventually, such integrated “Furfural‐Nitrate” system can simultaneously effectuate the electricity energy supply (10.76 mW cm −2 ), wastewater purification, cathodic hydrogen storage (NH 3 ), anodic H 2 production, and biomass upgrading. Hence, it provides a promising perspective of “turning waste into treasure” in a rational manner, justifying its all‐in‐one property in addressing the global challenge of sustainable energy.

Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 64, Issue 28
Published July 07, 2025
ISSN 1433-7851
Publisher Wiley

Journal Info

Angewandte Chemie International Edition

Wiley

ISSN: 1433-7851 Physical Sciences

Authors (14)

X

Xin Long

Department of Mechanical Engineering

B

Bin Zhao

D

Danni Liu

G

Guodong Fu

School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Southeast University Jiangning Nanjing Jiangsu 211189 China

H

Hang Yang

R

Renfei Feng

Canadian Light Source Inc.

N

Ning Chen

College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, and State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection

H

Hekun Ding

Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Energy Electrocatalytic Materials Guangdong Research Center for Interfacial Engineering of Functional Materials Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Energy Materials Service Safety College of Materials Science and Engineering Shenzhen University Shenzhen 518060 China

J

Jiayi Wu

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 4, Singapore 117585, Singapore

Y

Yuanfeng Liao

Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Energy Materials Service Safety, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Energy Electrocatalytic Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering

S

Shaoqing Liu

Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University

Y

Yu Zhang

Xiangya Hospital, Central South University Changsha China

X

Xian‐Zhu Fu

Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Energy Electrocatalytic Materials Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Energy Materials Service Safety College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University Shenzhen Guangdong China

J

Jing‐Li Luo

Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Energy Electrocatalytic Materials Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Energy Materials Service Safety College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University Shenzhen Guangdong China