Parametrization of catalytic system for organic electrosynthesis by real-time mass spectrometry Dr. Pavlo Nikolaienko; Angelina Cuomo; Mohammad Peirow Asfia; Walter Parada; Dr. Johanna Ranninger; Balazs Berkes; Karl J. J. Mayrhofer Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg for Renewable Energy, Germany The chemical manufacturing industry remains one of the substantial consumers of global energy and chemical feedstock based on fossil-derived materials. In this regard, the preparation of organic molecules under electrochemical conditions is a logical strategy to combine renewable energy sources and bio-mass or CO2-derived feedstock to meet the requirements of sustainable production. Besides energetic aspects, electrosynthesis provides exceptional tunability of the reaction conditions and a basis for discovering novel mechanistic routes. Regardless of whether “the energy” or “the discovery” approach is engaged, its success directly depends on the properties of electrode – electrolyte interface, as a place where organic molecule transformations occur. The phase boundary can be tuned from both sides, while the liquid one is more common due to ease in choosing an appropriate solvent, supporting electrolyte, and homogeneous electrocatalyst (mediator). At the same time, tailoring the electrode surface is more rewarding from a recyclability point of view but way more challenging. Nevertheless, the overall optimization process of electrosynthetic conditions is often time- and workforce- demanding. Furthermore, every active catalytic material must be investigated for its operation span when an industrial or long-term application is implied. Meanwhile, transition metal-based catalysts are of precise control due to the possibility of product contamination. Herein we present a system devoted to parametrizing an electrocatalytic system under dynamic or steady-state operations from the demanded activity, selectivity, and stability aspects. It comprises an electrochemical microfluidic flow cell, the outlet of which is interfaced with a mass-spectrometer of choice. A certain spot of a working electrode’s surface can be examined under realistic electrochemical conditions within real-time monitoring the formation of gaseous and dissolved organic molecules or the dissolution rate of transition metal from the bare electrode or the electrocatalyst. References 1. Current Opinion in Electrochemistry, 2022, 101103
2. ChemSusChem, 2022, 15 (5), e202102228 3. ChemSusChem 2021, 14 (23), 5245-5253 4. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2019, 58 (22), 7273-7277 5. Electrochimica acta, 2019, 315, 67-74
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