Continuous electrochemical oxidation of biomass derived 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural into 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid

• Published in: Journal of applied electrochemistry Vol. 48; no. 6; pp. 611 - 626
• Main Authors: Latsuzbaia, R., Bisselink, R., Anastasopol, A., van der Meer, H., van Heck, R., Yagüe, M. Segurola, Zijlstra, M., Roelands, M., Crockatt, M., Goetheer, E., Giling, E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 2018; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Continuous production; Crystallization; Electrochemical oxidation; Electrochemistry; Electrode materials; Electrodes; Electrolysis; Electroorganic synthesis; FDCA; Gold; HMF; Hydroxymethylfurfural; Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering; Lead oxides; Nickel oxy-hydroxide electrode; Oxidation; Physical Chemistry; Platinum; Research Article; Separation; Sodium hydroxide; Sodium sulfate; HMF; Continuous production; Nickel oxy-hydroxide electrode; Electroorganic synthesis; FDCA
• ISSN: 0021-891X; 1572-8838
• DOI: 10.1007/s10800-018-1157-7

A continuous electrochemical process with integrated product separation has been developed for production of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) by oxidation of 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural (HMF) in aqueous alkaline media on non-noble Ni/NiOOH foam electrodes at ambient conditions. Initially, voltammetry studies were performed in both, acid and alkaline media, on various catalyst materials: Au, Au
3
Pd
2
, Pt, PbO
2
, Ni/NiOOH and graphite. Preparative electrolysis was performed on Au, Au
3
Pd
2
, Pt, PbO
2
, Ni/NiOOH electrodes in a divided glass cell and Ni/NiOOH showed the best performance with an FDCA yield of ≈ 90% and a Faradaic efficiency of ≈ 80%. The electrolysis conditions were then optimized to industrially relevant conditions in a filter-press type flow reactor with Ni/NiOOH foam anode. HMF concentrations as high as 10 wt% were converted to FDCA at pH 12 in a buffer free 0.1 M Na
2
SO
4
electrolyte with continuous addition of NaOH to maintain constant pH. An FDCA separation yield up to 95% was achieved via pH shift crystallization. The electrolysis and FDCA separation results were used for the design and construction of a bench-scale system where continuous FDCA production, including integrated product separation, was tested and reported in this work. This publication for the first time presents a continuous electrochemical FDCA production system with integrated product separation at industrially relevant product concentrations, 10 wt% HMF, and utilizing non-noble electrode materials.
Graphical Abstract