Electroreduction of CO2 to CO paired with 1,2-Propanediol Oxidation to Lactic Acid

Electroreduction of CO2 to CO paired with 1,2-Propanediol Oxidation to Lactic Acid: toward an economically feasible system

Pérez-Gallent, E.
Turk, S.
Latsuzbaia, R.
Bhardwaj, R.
Anastasopol, A.
Sastre-Calabuig, F.
Garcia, A.C.
Giling, E.J.M.
Goetheer, E.L.V.

2019

In industrial electrochemical processes it is of paramount importance to achieve efficient, selective processes to produce valuable chemicals while minimizing the energy input. Although the electrochemical reduction of CO2 has received a lot of attention in the past decades, an economically feasible process has not yet been developed. Typically, the electrochemical reduction of CO2 is paired to water oxidation, forming oxygen, but an alternative strategy would be coupling the CO2 reduction reaction to an oxidation in which a higher-value product is co-produced, significantly improving the economic feasibility for CO2 reduction as a whole. Importantly, both reactions need to be chosen wisely to ensure their compatibility and to minimize the voltage requirements for the redox system. In this study, as an example of this approach, we demonstrate such a match: the electroreduction of CO2 to CO, paired with the electrooxidation of 1,2-propanediol to lactic acid. Combining these reactions decreases energy consumption by 35%, increases product value of the system, and results in combined faradaic efficiencies of up to 160% when compared to the CO2 reduction reaction in which oxygen is formed in the anode.

Sustainable Chemical Industry
Industrial Innovation

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:99f8a7d8-167f-40ab-a181-3e888c95014e

867359

American Chemical Society ACS

8885-885

Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, 58 (58), 6195-6202

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