More sustainable process for alcohol oxidation

“Coupling electrical with thermal energy while simultaneously increasing efficiency is a general principle that can be transferred to a wide range of processes,” says Wolfgang Schuhmann.
Combination of heat and electricity

The researchers investigated alcohol oxidation using ethylene glycol as an example; its oxidation has broad industrial relevance. Ethylene glycol is used, for example, as a precursor for PET and in fuel cells. The group used a specially synthesized cobalt oxide as the catalyst.

Electrocatalytic processes have the advantage that they can be precisely controlled and operated using electricity from renewable sources. Compared with thermal processes, however, electrocatalysis usually delivers lower production rates. The researchers combined heat and electricity as driving forces for alcohol oxidation and varied certain reaction parameters such as pressure and temperature.

The reaction proceeded with high selectivity: the desired products glycolate and formate were predominantly formed. As the temperature and oxygen pressure increased, their yield also rose. The study thus shows that electrocatalytic and thermal processes can be successfully combined.
Efficient use of electrical energy and heat

“Such electrothermal systems could be integrated into industrial environments where oxygen and low-temperature heat are available as by-products, enabling more efficient use of electrical and thermal energy,” write the authors of the study.