Chi Haoyuan, Liang Zhanpeng, Lin Jianlong, Han Dun, Zhang Sheng, Ma Xinbin
Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Centre of Chemical Science and Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China.
Haihe Laboratory of Sustainable Chemical Transformations, Tianjin 300192, China.
JACS Au. 2025 Jul 5;5(7):2977-2991. doi: 10.1021/jacsau.5c00644. eCollection 2025 Jul 28.
The electrosynthesis of chemicals from biomass-derived glycerol presents a promising pathway for sustainable chemical production, effectively addressing surplus glycerol from biodiesel production and using intermittent electrical energy. This process involves electrochemical conversion of glycerol into valuable products, offering an alternative to the traditional thermochemical route. In this Perspective, we first review the state-of-the-art electrochemical conversion of glycerol into various valuable chemicals, such as glyceric acid, lactic acid, glycolaldehyde, and formic acid. We then analyze the challenges and solutions for scaling up the electrochemical process from the laboratory to industrial production. Finally, we propose potential strategies in catalyst development, process optimization, and scalability, key factors in determining the feasibility of electrosynthesis as a mainstream method for chemical production.
从生物质衍生的甘油电合成化学品为可持续化学品生产提供了一条有前景的途径，有效解决了生物柴油生产中多余的甘油问题，并利用了间歇性电能。该过程涉及将甘油电化学转化为有价值的产品，为传统热化学路线提供了一种替代方案。在这篇观点文章中，我们首先综述了将甘油电化学转化为各种有价值化学品（如甘油酸、乳酸、乙醇醛和甲酸）的最新进展。然后，我们分析了将电化学过程从实验室规模扩大到工业生产所面临的挑战及解决方案。最后，我们提出了催化剂开发、工艺优化和可扩展性方面的潜在策略，这些是决定电合成作为化学品生产主流方法可行性的关键因素。
