【Frontiers in HaiChuan Chemical Technology】The Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has achieved efficient synthesis of THFDCA

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Due to their five-membered ring structure, which is smaller than the six-membered benzene ring structure, material-based furan polymers generally exhibit better gas barrier properties and mechanical characteristics compared to their petroleum-based counterparts. However, the rigid planar conjugated structure of the furan ring limits the flexibility and processability of downstream derivatives, thereby restricting their application scenarios. Taking 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) as an example, hydrogenation of its furan ring to produce **thefurandicarboxylic acid (THFDCA)** can significantly reduce the structural rigidity of the furan ring and generate two chiral carbon atoms. The flexible ring structure of this dibasic acid endows the resulting polymers with excellent mechanical properties and flexibility. It can replace petroleum-based 1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid (CHDA) as a plasticizer for thermoplastic polyesters and elastomers, or it can be used to synthesize new polyamides with high thermal stability and high water absorption, playing an important role in industries such as automotive, electronics, protective gear, and apparel. However, the hydrogenation of FDCA to THFDCA is difficult (Figure 1b, route 1); it relies on precious metal catalysts, and high reaction temperatures and pressures are required. There is an urgent need to explore milder and more efficient synthesis methods. Researcher Zhang Jian from the Team for Non-metallic Catalysis and Bio-based Monomer Manufacturing at the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has been engaged in fundamental research on the biological conversion of furan for many years. Five years ago, he collaborated with Zhejiang Tangneng Technology Co., Ltd. to carry out the world’s first pilot-scale production of **thefurandimethanol (THFDM) via the hydrogenation of 5-hydroxymethylfuran (HMF), on a scale of 100 tons. On this basis, the efficient synthesis of THFDCA was achieved. Recently, this team reported for the first time the efficient synthesis of THFDCA from THFDM using an electrocatalytic strategy. Nickel-cobalt bimetallic oxide microsheets (NiCoMS/NF) were fabricated on nickel foam by controlling the pyrolytic metal-organic framework (MOF) precursor, achieving a THFDCA yield of 95.2% at a substrate concentration of 100 mM. The reaction mechanism and the competitive mechanism of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) were investigated using in-situ Raman spectroscopy and rotating disk electrode (RRDE) techniques. This THFDCA synthesis strategy, based on simple catalyst preparation and efficient oxidation techniques, is expected to become a new focus in the field of electrosynthesis and to pave the way for exploration of its applications in industrial settings.