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Spatial decoupling of bromide-mediated process boosts propylene oxide electrosynthesis

Author

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  • Mingfang Chi

    (University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Jingwen Ke

    (University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Yan Liu

    (University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Miaojin Wei

    (University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Hongliang Li

    (University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Jiankang Zhao

    (University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Yuxuan Zhou

    (University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Zhenhua Gu

    (University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Zhigang Geng

    (University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Jie Zeng

    (University of Science and Technology of China
    University of Science and Technology of China
    University of Science and Technology of China
    University of Science and Technology of China)

Abstract

The electrochemical synthesis of propylene oxide is far from practical application due to the limited performance (including activity, stability, and selectivity). In this work, we spatially decouple the bromide-mediated process to avoid direct contact between the anode and propylene, where bromine is generated at the anode and then transferred into an independent reactor to react with propylene. This strategy effectively prevents the side reactions and eliminates the interference to stability caused by massive alkene input and vigorously stirred electrolytes. As expected, the selectivity for propylene oxide reaches above 99.9% with a remarkable Faradaic efficiency of 91% and stability of 750-h (>30 days). When the electrode area is scaled up to 25 cm2, 262 g of pure propylene oxide is obtained after 50-h continuous electrolysis at 6.25 A. These findings demonstrate that the electrochemical bromohydrin route represents a viable alternative for the manufacture of epoxides.

Suggested Citation

  • Mingfang Chi & Jingwen Ke & Yan Liu & Miaojin Wei & Hongliang Li & Jiankang Zhao & Yuxuan Zhou & Zhenhua Gu & Zhigang Geng & Jie Zeng, 2024. "Spatial decoupling of bromide-mediated process boosts propylene oxide electrosynthesis," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-8, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-48070-1
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48070-1
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