Electrosynthesis of 2,3-butanediol and methyl ethyl ketone from acetoin in flow cellsPart of this article was presented as an oral communication in the 3rd Green & Sustainable Chemistry Conference, Berlin (Germany), 2018, May 14-16th. Oral presentation O3.2 (May 15th). Session 3 - Recent Developments in Green Synthesis.Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c8gc03028f
Acetoin could shortly become a platform molecule due to current progress in fermentation technology, the megatrend for shifting from an oil-based economy to the one based on biomass, the quest for green manufacturing processes and its two highly reactive carbonyl and hydroxyl moieties. In this paper...
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Main Authors | , , , , , |
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Format | Journal Article |
Published |
02.01.2019
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Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Acetoin could shortly become a platform molecule due to current progress in fermentation technology, the megatrend for shifting from an oil-based economy to the one based on biomass, the quest for green manufacturing processes and its two highly reactive carbonyl and hydroxyl moieties. In this paper, the successful electro-conversion of acetoin into two valuable chemicals, 2,3-butanediol (2,3-BD) and methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), at a constant electrical current in an aqueous phase at room temperature using both divided and undivided 20 cm
2
filter-press flow cells under experimental conditions suitable for industrial production is reported. Cathode material is the key parameter to drive the electroreduction towards one or another chemical. 2,3-BD is the major chemical produced by electrohydrogenation when low hydrogen overvoltage cathodes, such as Pt and Ni, of high surface areas obtained by PVD coating on a carbon gas diffusion layer are used, while MEK is the principal product produced by electrohydrogenolysis when high hydrogen overvoltage cathodes, such as graphite, Pb and Cd foils, are employed. 2,3-BD and MEK can be obtained, respectively, in 92.8% and 85.7% selectivities, 71.7% and 80.4% current efficiencies, with 1.21 and 1.08 kg h
−1
m
−2
productivities and power consumptions of 2.94 and 4.1 kWh kg
−1
using undivided cells and aqueous K
2
HPO
4
electrolysis media at pH values of 3.6 and 5.5. The reported electroconversion of acetoin is highly flexible because 2,3-BD and MEK can be produced by changing just the cathode but using the same cell, with the same electrolyte at the same current density.
Flexible 2,3-butanediol and methyl ethyl ketone production by acetoin electroreduction in aqueous media at room temperature in flow cells. |
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Bibliography: | Session 3 - Recent Developments in Green Synthesis. th Part of this article was presented as an oral communication in the 3rd Green & Sustainable Chemistry Conference, Berlin (Germany), 2018, May 14-16 Oral presentation O3.2 (May 15 10.1039/c8gc03028f Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI |
ISSN: | 1463-9262 1463-9270 |
DOI: | 10.1039/c8gc03028f |