Electroplated Electrodes for Continuous and Mass-Efficient Electrochemical Hydrogenation.

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Sustainable Chemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Electrocatalytic hydrogenation (ECH) offers a sustainable alternative to traditional methods for reducing organic compounds.
• Current electrode preparation often involves binders and additives, complicating the process.
• Developing efficient and reusable electrocatalysts is crucial for advancing green chemistry.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a one-step, binder- and additive-free method for producing silver- and copper-electroplated electrodes for ECH.
• To optimize electrode preparation for enhanced catalyst morphology and electrochemical properties.
• To demonstrate the broad applicability and high performance of the developed electrodes in ECH reactions.

Main Methods:

• One-step electroplating of silver and copper onto carbon supports without binders or additives.
• Controlled adjustment of deposition parameters to tune catalyst morphology and electrochemical performance.
• Testing of electrodes for the electrocatalytic hydrogenation of 2-methyl-3-butyn-2-ol (MBY) and other unsaturated compounds.

Main Results:

• Achieved 93% faradaic efficiency for MBY hydrogenation using optimized electrodes.
• Demonstrated high performance at 240 mA cm⁻² current density and low catalyst loading (0.2 mg cm⁻²).
• Obtained unmatched production rates of 1.47 kg MBE gcat⁻¹ h⁻¹ in batch and 1.38 kg MBE gcat⁻¹ h⁻¹ in continuous flow.
• Extended substrate scope to 17 different C-C, C-O, and N-O unsaturated compounds, showing general applicability.

Conclusions:

• The developed one-step electrode preparation method is highly efficient and sustainable.
• The silver- and copper-electroplated electrodes show superior performance and broad applicability in ECH.
• This work provides a foundation for developing electrochemical reactors that can compete with state-of-the-art thermocatalytic processes.