Ligand-Hybridization Activates Lattice-Hydroxyl-Groups of NiCo(OH) Nanowires for Efficient Electrosynthesis.

Electrochemical dehydrogenation of hydroxides plays a crucial role in the formation of high-valence metal active sites toward 5-hydroxymethylfurfural oxidation reaction (HMFOR) to produce the value-added chemical of 2,5-furandicarboxylic (FDCA). Herein, we construct benzoic acid ligand-hybridized NiCo(OH) nanowires (BZ-NiCo(OH)) with ample electron-deficient Ni/Co sites for HMFOR. The robust electron-withdrawing capability of benzoic acid ligands in BZ-NiCo(OH) speeds up the electrochemical activation and dehydrogenation of lattice-hydroxyl-groups (M-O-H⇌M-O), boosting the formation of abundant electron-deficient and high-valence Ni/Co sites.