US 2014/0110268 A1 · ELECTROCATALYTIC HYDROGENATION AND HYDRODEOXYGENATION OF OXYGENATED AND UNSATURATED ORGANIC COMPOUNDS

Abstract

A process and related electrode composition are disclosed for the electrocatalytic hydrogenation and/or hydrodeoxygenation of organic substrates such as biomass-derived bio-oil components by the production of hydrogen atoms on a catalyst surface followed by the reaction of the hydrogen atoms with the organic reactants. Biomass fast pyrolysis-derived bio-oil is a liquid mixture containing hundreds of organic compounds with chemical functionalities that are corrosive to container materials and are prone to polymerization. A high surface area skeletal metal catalyst material such as Raney Nickel can be used as the cathode. Electrocatalytic hydrogenation and/or hydrodeoxygenation convert the organic substrates under mild conditions to reduce coke formation and catalyst deactivation. The process converts oxygen-containing functionalities and unsaturated bonds into chemically reduced forms with an increased hydrogen content. The process is operated at mild conditions, which enables it to be a good means for stabilizing bio-oil to a form that can be stored and transported using metal containers and pipes.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A process for performing at least one of electrocatalytic hydrogenation (ECH) and electrocatalytic hydrodeoxygenation (ECHDO) of an organic substrate, the process comprising:

(a) providing a reaction mixture comprising an organic reactant comprising one or more functional groups selected from the group consisting of carbonyl carbon-oxygen double bonds, aromatic double bonds, ethylenic carbon-carbon double bonds, acetylenic carbon-carbon triple bonds, hydroxyl carbon-oxygen single bonds, ether carbon-oxygen single bonds, and combinations thereof;
(b) contacting the reaction mixture with a first electrode and a catalytic composition comprising a skeletal metal catalyst capable of catalyzing at least one of electrocatalytic hydrogenation (ECH) and electrocatalytic hydrodeoxygenation (ECHDO);
(c) electrically contacting the reaction mixture with a second electrode;
and
(d) applying an electrical potential between the first electrode and the second electrode to provide an electrical current therebetween and through the reaction mixture, thereby performing at least one of an ECH reaction and an ECHDO reaction to reduce or deoxygenate at least one of the functional groups of the organic reactant and to form at least one of (i) an ECH reaction product thereof and (ii) an ECHDO reaction product thereof;
wherein the reaction mixture has a pH value ranging from 4 to 11 when applying the electrical potential to form the reaction product.

3 more elements

A process for performing at least one of electrocatalytic hydrogenation (ECH) and electrocatalytic hydrodeoxygenation (ECHDO) of an organic substrate, the process comprising:

(a) providing a reaction mixture comprising a plurality of organic reactants, wherein:
(i) the plurality of organic reactants is selected from the group consisting of a multicomponent bio-oil, a multicomponent bio-oil fraction, a plurality of bio-oil components, and combinations thereof, and
(ii) the organic reactants collectively comprise one or more functional groups selected from the group consisting of carbonyl carbon-oxygen double bonds, aromatic double bonds, ethylenic carbon-carbon double bonds, acetylenic carbon-carbon triple bonds, hydroxyl carbon-oxygen single bonds, ether carbon-oxygen single bonds, and combinations thereof;
(b) contacting the reaction mixture with a first electrode and a catalytic composition comprising a skeletal metal catalyst capable of catalyzing at least one of electrocatalytic hydrogenation (ECH) and electrocatalytic hydrodeoxygenation (ECHDO);
(c) electrically contacting the reaction mixture with a second electrode;
and
(d) applying an electrical potential between the first electrode and the second electrode to provide an electrical current therebetween and through the reaction mixture, thereby performing at least one of an ECH reaction and an ECHDO reaction to reduce or deoxygenate at least one of the functional groups of the organic reactants and to form at least one of (i) an ECH reaction product thereof and (ii) an ECHDO reaction product thereof.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Electrocatalytic hydrogenation and hydrodeoxygenation of oxygenated and unsaturated organic compounds

Life of this patent

Electrocatalytic hydrogenation and hydrodeoxygenation of oxygenated and unsaturated organic compounds

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims30