Electrocatalytic Refinery for Sustainable Production of Fuels and Chemicals

• Published in: Angewandte Chemie International Edition Vol. 60; no. 36; pp. 19572 - 19590
• Main Authors: Tang, Cheng, Zheng, Yao, Jaroniec, Mietek, Qiao, Shi‐Zhang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.09.2021
• Edition: International ed. in English
• Subjects: Cascade chemical reactions; catalyst design; Chemical bonds; Chemical reactions; chemical synthesis; electrocatalysis; Electrocatalysts; Energy sources; Fossil fuels; Fuels; Intermediates; Reaction intermediates; Refineries; refinery; Sustainable production; Water splitting; chemical synthesis; refinery; reaction intermediates; electrocatalysis; catalyst design
• ISSN: 1433-7851; 1521-3773; 1521-3773
• DOI: 10.1002/anie.202101522

Compared to modern fossil‐fuel‐based refineries, the emerging electrocatalytic refinery (e‐refinery) is a more sustainable and environmentally benign strategy to convert renewable feedstocks and energy sources into transportable fuels and value‐added chemicals. A crucial step in conducting e‐refinery processes is the development of appropriate reactions and optimal electrocatalysts for efficient cleavage and formation of chemical bonds. However, compared to well‐studied primary reactions (e.g., O2 reduction, water splitting), the mechanistic aspects and materials design for emerging complex reactions are yet to be settled. To address this challenge, herein, we first present fundamentals of heterogeneous electrocatalysis and some primary reactions, and then implement these to establish the framework of e‐refinery by coupling in situ generated intermediates (integrated reactions) or products (tandem reactions). We also present a set of materials design principles and strategies to efficiently manipulate the reaction intermediates and pathways. The concept of the electrocatalytic refinery (e‐refinery) is an intrinsically sustainable strategy to convert renewable feedstocks and energy sources to transportable fuels and value‐added chemicals. This Review describes the concept, fundamentals, and framework of e‐refinery processes with some game‐changing reactions and innovative catalyst design strategies.