Biomass, the most promising source of renewable carbon, needs to be efficiently utilized to replace even a fraction of fossil carbon. The carbon-rich waste streams from bioethanol and agrochemical industries are mostly proteins, the by-product from lignocellulosic biomass pretreatment. An understanding to utilization of amino acids, the units of protein would be essential to moving to real wasteful proteins. This work provides an expansion in the field of amino acids decarboxylation to amines from thermochemical approach to electrochemical advance. Using ruthenium on activated carbon cloth (Ru/ACC) as the anode, we have successfully converted simple amino acids to their amine congeners in dilute phosphoric acid solution at temperatures below boiling point of water. The mechanism of the reactions was investigated to follow non-Kolbe like pathway. The reaction is proposed to proceed via radical hydrogen borrowing pathway. Ru/ACC anode abstract hydrogen from the carboxylic functionality via a single electron oxidation. The loss of CO<sub>2 </sub>was then spontaneous to form stable alpha-amine radical. The last step was the reduction of the alpha-amine radical at platinum cathode by indirectly returning the borrowed hydrogen in the catalytic process.

Aqueous phase electrochemical decarboxylation of alpha-amino acids to primary amines via borrowing hydrogen mechanism

ACS Spring 2022

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