Electrochemical oxidation of aromatic aldehydes in acidic media
AssigneeWisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
InventorsKyoung-Shin Choi, Stephen Riley Kubota
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods for electrochemically oxidizing aromatic aldehydes, such as furfural and furfural derivatives, to carboxylic acids in acidic solutions are provided. Also provided are electrochemical cells for carrying out the oxidation reactions. The electrochemical oxidations may be conducted in aqueous media at ambient pressure and mild temperatures.
Claims20
A method for the electrochemical oxidation of an aromatic aldehyde that does not have one or more carboxylic acid groups attached directly to its aromatic ring to a carboxylic acid, wherein the electrochemical oxidation is carried out in an electrochemical cell comprising:
- an anode that is active for the electrochemical oxidation of the aromatic aldehyde that does not have one or more carboxylic acid groups attached directly to its aromatic ring in an anode electrolyte solution;
- and
- a cathode in a cathode electrolyte solution, wherein the anode electrolyte solution comprises the aromatic aldehyde that does not have one or more carboxylic acid groups attached directly to its aromatic ring and has a pH of 4 or lower, and further wherein, prior to applying an anode potential to the anode, the concentration of the aromatic aldehyde that does not have one or more carboxylic acid groups attached directly to its aromatic ring in the anode electrolyte solution is higher than the concentration of any carboxylic acid that is an oxidation product of the aromatic aldehyde that does not have one or more carboxylic acid groups attached directly to its aromatic ring,
- the method comprising:
- applying the anode potential to the anode that induces the electrochemical oxidation of the aromatic aldehyde that does not have one or more carboxylic acid groups attached directly to its aromatic ring to the carboxylic acid, wherein the electrochemical oxidation of the aromatic aldehyde that does not have one or more carboxylic acid groups attached directly to its aromatic ring takes place directly at the anode, and further wherein, if the aromatic aldehyde that does not have one or more carboxylic acid groups attached directly to its aromatic ring is 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and the carboxylic acid is 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid, then the 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid is produced with a yield of at least 10%, and further wherein the aromatic aldehyde that does not have one or more carboxylic acid groups attached directly to its aromatic ring is not furfural.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.