Electrosynthesis of ethylene glycol from biomass glycerol.

ABSTRACT: Ethylene glycol, a widely used chemical, has a large global capacity exceeding 40 million tons per year. Nevertheless, its production is heavily reliant on fossil fuels, resulting in substantial CO₂ emissions. Herein, we report an approach for electrochemically producing ethylene glycol from biomass glycerol. This process involves glycerol electrooxidation to glycolaldehyde at anode, which is subsequently electro-reduced to ethylene glycol at cathode. While the anode reaction has been reported, the cathode reaction remains a challenge. An electrodeposited electrode with metallic Cu catalyst enables us to achieve glycolaldehyde-to-ethylene glycol conversion with an exceptional faradaic efficiency of about 80%. Experimental and theoretical studies reveal that metallic Cu catalyst

SUBMITTER: Chi H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11760530 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature