Electrosynthesis of oxiranes

An electrochemical process for producing oxirane from olefin reactants, comprising:

• contacting a halide based electrolyte with an anode and a cathode respectively located in an anodic compartment and a cathodic compartment;
• supplying olefin reactants into the electrolyte in the anodic compartment, such that the anode generates ethylene chlorohydrin;
• withdrawing a loaded anodic solution comprising ethylene halohydrin from the anodic compartment, and a loaded cathodic solution comprising OH- ions from the cathodic compartment;
• and
• mixing at least a portion of the loaded anodic solution with at least a portion of the loaded cathodic solution under conditions to react ethylene halohydrin with OH- to produce oxirane.

An electrochemical process for producing oxirane from olefin reactants, comprising:

• contacting a halide based electrolyte with an anode and a cathode respectively located in an anodic compartment and a cathodic compartment;
• supplying olefin reactants into the electrolyte in the anodic compartment, such that the anode generates ethylene halohydrin;
• withdrawing a loaded anodic solution comprising ethylene halohydrin from the anodic compartment;
• and
• contacting at least a portion of the loaded anodic solution with a basic solution comprising OH- ions under conditions to react ethylene halohydrin with OH- to produce oxirane.

An electrochemical system for producing oxirane from olefin reactants, comprising:

• an electrochemical flow cell comprising:
• an anodic compartment having an anode provided therein, an electrolyte inlet for receiving a halide based electrolyte, a gas inlet for supplying olefin reactants to electrocatalytically convert the olefin and halide into ethylene halohydrin, and an outlet for expelling a solution comprising the ethylene halohydrin;
• a cathodic compartment having a cathode provided therein, an electrolyte inlet for receiving a halide based electrolyte, a hydrogen outlet, and an outlet for expelling a basic solution comprising OH- ions;
• and
• an ion exchange membrane between the anodic and cathodic compartments;
• and
• a mixing chamber configured to receive at least a portion of the solution comprising the ethylene halohydrin and the basic solution comprising OH- ions, or a mixture thereof, and to provide conditions to react ethylene halohydrin with OH- to produce oxirane.

An electrochemical process for producing an organic product from olefin reactants, comprising:

• contacting a halide based electrolyte with an anode and a cathode respectively located in an anodic compartment and a cathodic compartment;
• supplying olefin reactants into the electrolyte in the anodic compartment, such that the olefin reactants contact the anode;
• wherein the anode comprises an electrocatalyst that defines an extended heterogenous:homogenous interface with halide ions acting as a reservoir for positive charges, thereby storing and redistributing positive charges to promote selective generation of halohydrins;
• and
• converting the halohydrins into the organic product.

An electrochemical process for producing oxiranes from olefin reactants, comprising:

• contacting a halide based electrolyte with an anode and a cathode respectively located in an anodic compartment and a cathodic compartment;
• supplying olefin reactants into the electrolyte in the anodic compartment, such that the olefin reactants contact the anode;
• wherein the anode comprises an electrocatalyst that defines an extended heterogenous:homogenous interface with halide ions acting as a reservoir for positive charges, thereby storing and redistributing positive charges to promote selective generation of ethylene halohydrins;
• and
• converting the ethylene halohydrins into oxiranes.