Copper phosphide quantum dot: A bifunctional catalyst for electro- and photochemical transformation of biomass-derived 5-hydroxymethylfurfural

The extensive reliance on fossil fuel enables the harnessing of biomass-derived compounds, such as 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), for the sustainable production of valuable products. Copper-based materials are gaining interest as heterogeneous electrocatalysts due to their abundance and tuneable redox states. Herein, we report copper phosphide (Cu<inf>3</inf>P) quantum dot as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for oxidation and reduction of HMF into 2,5-Furandicarboxylic acid and 2,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)furan, respectively, which serve as the platform chemicals. We have achieved faradaic efficiency of 57 % in 1 M KOH and 45 % in pH 4 PBS at 10 and −2 mA cm⁻² current density for HMFOR and HMFRR, respectively. This work presents the scope of replacing anodic and cathodic reactions of conventional water electrolysis with less energy cost, easy catalyst synthesis, and ambient conditions.