Tuning the Formate Selectivity for Electrochemical Glycerol Oxidation on Cobalt-based Hydroxides

Presenter: David Russell Abgrab

Faculty Sponsor: Zhu Chen

School: UMass Amherst

Research Area: Chemistry and Materials Science

Session: Poster Session 5, 3:15 PM - 4:00 PM, Auditorium, A8

ABSTRACT

In recent years, large strides have been made in the production of biodiesel, a promising renewable fuel that serves as an alternative to petroleum-based diesel. Diminishing crude oil reserves and environmental concerns have increased the emphasis on renewable energy, particularly biodiesel. Despite biodiesel’s promising applications, its implementation has been limited by its relatively high cost. One promising option for lowering the production cost is the utilization of glycerol, biodiesel’s main byproduct. Biodiesel production generates 10% w/w glycerol, or 1.05 pounds of glycerol for every gallon of biodiesel. Valorization of glycerol can prove to be an effective method for improving the commercial viability of biodiesel production. Electrochemical glycerol oxidation has gained substantial attention due to its ability to operate under ambient temperature and pressure. Herein, we present a spectroscopic investigation into the structural transformation of cobalt-based hydroxides and its relationship with the product distribution of electrochemical glycerol oxidation. We examine the structural evolution of alpha and beta cobalt hydroxides under applied electrical potential. We found that Co(II) in the tetrahedral sites of alpha cobalt hydroxide oxidizes to Co(IV), whereas those in the octahedral sites of beta cobalt hydroxide. Additionally, the predominant product of glycerol oxidation was found to be formate;. further incorporation of iron into the activated catalyst improved formate selectivity to 92.2% and faradaic efficiency to 93%.

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