Producing fuels and chemicals using renewable electricity holds the promise to enable a truly sustainable circular economy based on sustainably produced carriers of electrical energy and sustainably produced chemicals. To date, the vast majority of electrocatalytic reactions are limited to the transformation of small inorganic molecules such as CO2, H2O, N2, as well as the oxidation and reduction of alcohols. However, comprehensive electrification of the chemical industry will require electrocatalytic reactions that can promote the central transformations that make up today’s industry. In this presentation, I will show how fundamental understanding of the interfacial processes occurring in electrocatalytic reactions can be exploited to expand the reaction scope of electrocatalysis to the transformation of complex substrates. In a first step, I will show how this approach allows us to transform ethanol to ethylene oxide, an important plastic precursor. Subsequently, I will discuss methods to electrocatalytically transform inert alkanes such as methane and ethane at room temperature.

Electrifying industrial chemistry: Controlling the electrocatalytic transformation of alcohols and alkanes to valuable products

Where thousands of chemistry professionals meet to share ideas and advance scientific and technical knowledge. Spring 2023 abstracts, posters, and presentations will launch at the end of March.

ACS Spring 2023

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