Catalyst design, electrolyte engineering and reactor assembly for the convergent and paired electrosynthesis of nexus chemicals

Description

Prevalent electrochemical processes like carbon dioxide, oxygen, water and nitrogen reduction enable the electrosynthesis of key organic and inorganic chemicals at the cathode, while valueless oxygen is often generated at the anode. Coupling these processes with a compatible and more consequential anodic reaction would allow for the production of valuable commodities at both electrodes in an energy and cost-efficient manner while simultaneously curtailing the formation of wasteful byproducts. Consequently, this work, part of the EU-funded projects CO2EXIDE and Power2Hype, includes the synthesis and design of bespoke electrocatalysts, aqueous supporting electrolytes and electrochemical reactors, that will all be modulated via state-of-the-art optimization strategies, for the electrocatalytic production of ethylene (C2H4) via CO2 reduction (12e– CO2RR) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) via oxygen reduction (2e– ORR). These two distinct reduction reactions, investigated within their respective projects (CO2EXIDE for the 12e– CO2RR; Power2Hype for the 2e– ORR) will be paired with the unorthodox anodic electrochemical generation of H2O2 via water oxidation (2e– WOR), which has recently garnered significant interest as an alternative production pathway to oxygen evolution at the anode. Practical bulk C2H4 and H2O2 electrosynthesis, via combinations of the 12e– CO2RR and 2e– ORR and at industrially-relevant applied electrical current densities and product output concentrations, will be carried out in different custom-made electrochemical flow reactors coupled with a compatible oxidation reaction (2e– WOR) that will maximise the energy efficiency and atom economy of the system, thus allowing for the paired electrolysis of valuable chemical commodities at both electrodes, in a sustainable manner that could rival conventional industrial processes like hydrocarbon steam cracking or anthraquinone autooxidation, and render them obsolete.

Period	3 Sept 2023 → 8 Sept 2023
Event title	74th Annual Meeting of the International Society of Electrochemistry: Design and Optimisation of Carbonaceous Catalysts for the High-Rate Electrochemical Production of Hydrogen Peroxide via Oxygen Reduction in a Solid Electrolyte Flow Reactor
Event type	Conference/symposium
Location	Lyon, FranceShow on map