Efficient Electrolysis of Biomass-Derived Carbonyl Compounds to Alcohols via Lanthanide-Modulated Hydrogenation Pathways.

Electrocatalytic hydrogenation of biomass-derived carbonyl compounds offers a sustainable alternative to thermochemical routes, yet its selectivity is often constrained by unavoidable competition with hydrogen evolution through surface-bound H* intermediates. Here we demonstrate that electrocatalytic hydrogenation pathways can be reprogrammed via lanthanide assisted adsorption configuration engineering strategy, enabling direct control over reaction mechanisms at the electrode-electrolyte interface. Using levulinic acid (LA) as a representative biomass-derived carbonyl compound, cobalt nanoparticles modified with lanthanum oxide (La2O3) selectively catalyze its conversion to γ-valerolactone (GVL) with a Faradaic efficiency of up to 95.8% under mild aqueous conditions. Mechanistic investigations reveal that La2O3 introduces dual-site adsorption configurations that strengthen carbonyl coordination while suppressing interfacial water activation. This adsorption configuration inhibits the Volmer step, eliminates H*-mediated hydrogen atom transfer and redirects the reaction toward a proton-coupled electron transfer pathway. By translating pathway-level control into high selectivity and energy efficiency, this lanthanide assisted adsorption-controlled strategy enables electrocatalytic hydrogenation that is both mechanistically distinct and techno-economically viable for an industrially relevant biomass transformation. These findings establish lanthanide mediated proton-coupled electron transfer pathway as an effective approach and general strategy toward electrolysis of challenging biomass-derived carbonyl compounds to alcohols.