Electro-synthesis of alcohols and carboxylic acids from corresponding metal salts

Abstract

A preferred electrochemical process for producing an alcohol or carboxylic acid from a corresponding metal salt while also recovering metal cation residues is described. The preferred process does not require a three-compartment desalination cell but rather can be performed in a standard two-compartment cell divided by a cation-permeable membrane. The process comprises the step of electrolyzing an aqueous medium containing the metal salt in the anolyte of the cell to thereby yield alcohol or carboxylic acid in the anolyte and pass the metal cation into the catholyte. In one particularly preferred mode, the process provides a highly effective recovery of valuable materials from byproduct streams of base-catalyzed syntheses of polyols such as such as trimethylolpropane or pentaerythritol from aldehydes, and in another provides an efficient recovery of phenol.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.