STRATEGIES FOR THE ELECTROCHEMICAL SYNTHESIS OF MULTICARBON ALCOHOLS

Abstract

Electrocatalytic systems for synthesizing multicarbon alcohols, which can utilize renewable electricity to produce fuels and chemicals, provide a promising solution for sustainable energy generation. However, electrochemical routes to form multicarbon alcohols remain poorly understood. This thesis investigates three electrocatalytic systems, namely, carbon dioxide reduction to ethanol on copper-silver composites, carbon dioxide reduction to 1-butanol on oxide-derived copper, and crotonaldehyde reduction on silver and iron to uncover electrochemical routes for producing multicarbon alcohols. These investigations, which focus on elucidating the reaction mechanisms, culminate in three strategies for multicarbon alcohol electrosynthesis: (a) introducing relevant intermediates to activate reaction pathways which are otherwise inaccessible, (b) employing stepwise-optimized tandem reactors for the production of complex molecules, (c) rational engineering of defects in catalyst materials to tune their activities for the reduction of particular functional groups on reactant molecules.