Interconversion of acid-base neutralization energy as electrical driving force can spontaneously desalinate saline water during electric power production without a net redox reaction. This entropically favorable chemistry performs desalination by reversible redox reactions involving only gases, water, H + , and OH À such that the products and reactants of the reaction will not contaminate the desalinated water.
Electrochemical valorization
of biomass is a potential route for
the interfacial synthesis of products with high added value; however,
its thermodynamically unfavorable nature demands substantial electrical
driving force for achieving the desired rate. We illustrate a fundamentally
unique approach for electrochemical valorization in an electrochemical
neutralization fuel cell (ENFC) where oxidative valorization of biomass
to value-added products and reductive hydrogen fuel synthesis are
spontaneously paired during electric power production. We further
show that the selectivity of the valorization pathway can be controlled
through the interfacial electrochemistry of the catalytic anode/electrolyte
interface. The capability of the ENFC to synthesize value-added products
and clean molecular fuels during electric power production by harvesting
the energy of neutralization will enrich the chemistry of energy conversion
with immense techno-commercial implications.
Synthesis of organic molecules by utilizing the principles of electrochemistry satisfies 9 out of the 12 postulates of green chemistry, conferring electrochemical synthetic methodologies with clean, safe, and green tags. However, electro-organic synthesis is a heterogeneous interfacial reaction demanding significant driving force in terms of voltage or current. Here, we demonstrate an unusual route for electro-organic synthesis during electricity generation in a battery, where the positive half-cell is designed to function as an organic reactor generating useful chemicals and fuel molecules. The proposed electroorganic synthesizer Zn battery couples organic synthesis with power production during discharge chemistry, thereby demonstrating its tremendous potential in the sustainable energy landscape.
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