Abstract
In electrochemical processes, an oxidation half-reaction is always paired with a reduction half-reaction. Although systems for reactions such as the reduction of CO2 can be coupled to water oxidation to produce O2 at the anode, large-scale O2 production is of limited value. One may replace a low-value half-reaction with a compatible half-reaction that can produce a valuable chemical compound and operate at a lower potential. In doing so, both the anodic and cathodic half-reactions yield desirable products with a decreased energy demand. Here we demonstrate a paired electrolysis in the case of the oxidative condensation of syringaldehyde and o-phenylenediamine to give 2-(3,5-dimethoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl)benzimidazole coupled with the reduction of CO2 to CO mediated by molecular electrocatalysts. We also present general principles for evaluating current-voltage characteristics and power demands in paired electrolyzers.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 15110-15113 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | Journal of the American Chemical Society |
Volume | 138 |
Issue number | 46 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Nov 23 2016 |