Proton electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells have been developed in the last 20 years to be highly efficient methods to produce electricity from oxygenated compounded.  In this presentation we will demonstrate how PEM technology can be used to produce different fuels and chemicals from biomass-derived oxygenates.  The electrochemical oxidation can be used to selectively oxidize polyols into aldehydes and ketones in the aqueous phase.  Glycerol can selectively be oxidized to glyceraldehyde in selectivies above 90%.   Biomass-derived molecules can also be reduced in a PEM reactor by feeding the oxygenated molecule to the cathode side.  Protons needed for the reduction can be produced from the electrolysis of water or from hydrogen gas dissociation on the anode side of the reactor.  Acetone can be electrocatalytically reduced with and without water electrolysis.  We will demonstrate how the fuel cell performance changes with concentration of acetone, hydrogen, temperature and pressure.

Electrocatalytic oxidization and reduction of biomass derived oxygenates in a PEM reactor

243rd National Meeting (2012)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.