Engineering the Solid-Liquid Interface of Carbon Electrodes for Enhanced Organic Electrosynthesis

Area of Science:

• Sustainable chemistry
• Electrochemical engineering
• Materials science

Background:

• Electrosynthesis offers a green route for biomass valorization but faces industrial limitations due to low reaction rates.
• Conventional 2D electrodes hinder productivity in electrochemical flow reactors.
• Efficient conversion of biomass-derived chemicals is crucial for sustainable chemical production.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer a porous carbon felt cathode for enhanced productivity in electrosynthesis.
• To improve the hydrogenation of cis,cis-muconic acid, a precursor for biobased nylon.
• To overcome limitations of traditional electrodes in electrochemical flow systems.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a porous carbon felt cathode with tuned surface functionality and hydrophilicity.
• Implementation in an electrochemical flow reactor for cis,cis-muconic acid hydrogenation.
• Evaluation of adsorption and charge transfer kinetics at the solid-liquid interface.

Main Results:

• Achieved a 30-fold increase in productivity for muconic acid hydrogenation.
• Demonstrated a 45% reduction in cell potential at 200 mA cm⁻².
• Enhanced solid-liquid interface kinetics through surface modification.

Conclusions:

• Engineered porous carbon electrodes can significantly enhance electrosynthesis efficiency and scalability.
• Tuning electrode properties is key to advancing sustainable production of commodity and specialty chemicals.
• This work paves the way for industrial adoption of electrosynthesis for biobased materials.