Next Article in Journal
Enhanced H2 Production Efficiency in Photo-Reforming of PET Waste Plastic Using Dark-Deposited Atom/Nanocomposite Pt/TiO2 Photocatalysts
Next Article in Special Issue
Electrochemical Looping Green Hydrogen Production by Using Water Electrochemically Treated as a Raw Material for the Electrolyzer
Previous Article in Journal
Catalytic Reforming and Hydrogen Production: From the Past to the Future
Previous Article in Special Issue
Application of Pillared Clays for Water Recovery
 
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
Journals
Catalysts
Volume 15
Issue 4
10.3390/catal15040333
catalysts-logo
Submit to this Journal Review for this Journal Propose a Special Issue
► Article Menu

Article Menu

share Share announcement Help format_quote Cite question_answer Discuss in SciProfiles
first_page
settings
Order Article Reprints
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
Article

Electro-Refinery in Organics to Produce Energy Carriers: Co-Generation of Green Hydrogen and Carboxylic Acids by Glycerol Electrooxidation Using Dimensionally Stable Anode

by
Letícia M. G. da Silva
1,
Letícia G. A. Costa
1,
José E. L. Santos
1,
Emily C. T. de A. Costa
1,
Aruzza M. de Morais Araújo
1,
Amanda D. Gondim
1,
Lívia N. Cavalcanti
1,
Marco A. Quiroz
1,
Elisama V. dos Santos
1,2,* and
Carlos A. Martínez-Huitle
1,*
1
Renewable Energies and Environmental Sustainability Research Group, Institute of Chemistry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Campus Universitário, Av. Salgado Filho 3000, Lagoa Nova, Natal CEP 59078-970, RN, Brazil
2
School of Science and Technology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Campus Universitário, Natal CEP 59078-970, RN, Brazil
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Catalysts 2025, 15(4), 333; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15040333
Submission received: 6 February 2025 / Revised: 20 March 2025 / Accepted: 24 March 2025 / Published: 31 March 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photocatalyzed and Electrochemical Processes for a Cleaner Environment)
Browse Figures
Versions Notes

Abstract

The urgency to decarbonize fuels has contributed to a rise in biofuel production, which has culminated in a significant increase in the waste quantity of glycerol produced. Therefore, to convert glycerol waste into high-value products, electrochemical oxidation (EO) is a viable alternative for the co-generation of carboxylic acids, such as formic acid (FA) and green hydrogen (H2), which are considered energy carriers. The aim of this study is the electroconversion of glycerol into FA by EO using a divided electrochemical cell, driven by a photovoltaic (PV) system, with a dimensionally stable anode (DSA, Ti/TiO2-RuO2-IrO2) electrode as an anode and Ni-Fe stainless steel (SS) mesh as a cathode. To optimize the experimental conditions, studies were carried out evaluating the effects of applied current density (j), electrolyte concentration, electrolysis time, and electrochemical cell configuration (undivided and divided). According to the results, the optimum experimental conditions were achieved at 90 mA cm−2, 0.1 mol L−1 of Na2SO4 as a supporting electrolyte, and 480 min of electrolysis. In this condition, 256.21 and 211.17 mg L−1 of FA were obtained for the undivided and divided cells, respectively, while the co-generation of 6.77 L of dry H2 was achieved in the divided cell. The electroconversion process under the optimum conditions was also carried out with a real sample, where organic acids like formic and acetic acids were co-produced simultaneously with green H2. Based on the preliminary economic analysis, the integrated-hybrid process is an economically viable and promising alternative when it is integrated with renewable energy sources such as solar energy.
Keywords: glycerol; DSA; formic acid; green hydrogen; integrated-hybrid; electrochemical oxidation glycerol; DSA; formic acid; green hydrogen; integrated-hybrid; electrochemical oxidation
Graphical Abstract

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

da Silva, L.M.G.; Costa, L.G.A.; Santos, J.E.L.; de A. Costa, E.C.T.; de Morais Araújo, A.M.; Gondim, A.D.; Cavalcanti, L.N.; Quiroz, M.A.; dos Santos, E.V.; Martínez-Huitle, C.A. Electro-Refinery in Organics to Produce Energy Carriers: Co-Generation of Green Hydrogen and Carboxylic Acids by Glycerol Electrooxidation Using Dimensionally Stable Anode. Catalysts 2025, 15, 333. https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15040333

AMA Style

da Silva LMG, Costa LGA, Santos JEL, de A. Costa ECT, de Morais Araújo AM, Gondim AD, Cavalcanti LN, Quiroz MA, dos Santos EV, Martínez-Huitle CA. Electro-Refinery in Organics to Produce Energy Carriers: Co-Generation of Green Hydrogen and Carboxylic Acids by Glycerol Electrooxidation Using Dimensionally Stable Anode. Catalysts. 2025; 15(4):333. https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15040333

Chicago/Turabian Style

da Silva, Letícia M. G., Letícia G. A. Costa, José E. L. Santos, Emily C. T. de A. Costa, Aruzza M. de Morais Araújo, Amanda D. Gondim, Lívia N. Cavalcanti, Marco A. Quiroz, Elisama V. dos Santos, and Carlos A. Martínez-Huitle. 2025. "Electro-Refinery in Organics to Produce Energy Carriers: Co-Generation of Green Hydrogen and Carboxylic Acids by Glycerol Electrooxidation Using Dimensionally Stable Anode" Catalysts 15, no. 4: 333. https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15040333

APA Style

da Silva, L. M. G., Costa, L. G. A., Santos, J. E. L., de A. Costa, E. C. T., de Morais Araújo, A. M., Gondim, A. D., Cavalcanti, L. N., Quiroz, M. A., dos Santos, E. V., & Martínez-Huitle, C. A. (2025). Electro-Refinery in Organics to Produce Energy Carriers: Co-Generation of Green Hydrogen and Carboxylic Acids by Glycerol Electrooxidation Using Dimensionally Stable Anode. Catalysts, 15(4), 333. https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15040333

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop