Low-temperature highly selective Kolbe electrolysis of acetic acid in bio-oil on a stable in situ grown RuO2/TiO2 at industrial-level current

Yangxin Jin; Shengqin Liu; Zhe Wang; Qi Zhu; Qingguo Le; Shan Shao; Sam H.Y. Hsu; Anqing Zheng; Jun Zhao; Jason Chun Ho Lam

doi:10.1039/d5ee01214g

Low-temperature highly selective Kolbe electrolysis of acetic acid in bio-oil on a stable in situ grown RuO₂/TiO₂ at industrial-level current

Yangxin Jin, Shengqin Liu, Zhe Wang, Qi Zhu, Qingguo Le, Shan Shao, Sam H.Y. Hsu, Anqing Zheng, Jun Zhao, Jason Chun Ho Lam^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › peer-review

Abstract

Acetic acid (AA) is abundant in biomass pyrolysis oil (bio-oil) but its presence can hinder the use and storage of bio-oil. In this study, we developed a highly stable in situ grown ruthenium dioxide (RuO₂)/titanium dioxide (TiO₂) catalyst for Kolbe electrolysis (KBE) at high current densities, converting AA to ethane (C₂H₆) with an 82% (±5%) selectivity. The RuO₂/TiO₂ catalyst sustained at least 150 hours of KBE at 100 mA cm⁻², converting 3300 mmol of AA into 32.6 L of C₂H₆ with a faradaic efficiency of 74.1%. The selectivity for C₂H₆ remained high even in the presence of model bio-oil-relevant oxygenated phenolics and carbonyl compounds, and real bio-oil produced from corncob pyrolysis (88% selectivity for C₂H₆). In situ Raman spectroscopy was performed to examine catalytic events at the electrode interface and determine the unique selectivity toward AA during the KBE reaction.

Original language	English
Number of pages	14
Journal	Energy and Environmental Science
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1039/d5ee01214g
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 4 Jun 2025

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@article{afa665abaef64a2fb9c718604c3dad12,

title = "Low-temperature highly selective Kolbe electrolysis of acetic acid in bio-oil on a stable in situ grown RuO2/TiO2 at industrial-level current",

abstract = "Acetic acid (AA) is abundant in biomass pyrolysis oil (bio-oil) but its presence can hinder the use and storage of bio-oil. In this study, we developed a highly stable in situ grown ruthenium dioxide (RuO2)/titanium dioxide (TiO2) catalyst for Kolbe electrolysis (KBE) at high current densities, converting AA to ethane (C2H6) with an 82% (±5%) selectivity. The RuO2/TiO2 catalyst sustained at least 150 hours of KBE at 100 mA cm−2, converting 3300 mmol of AA into 32.6 L of C2H6 with a faradaic efficiency of 74.1%. The selectivity for C2H6 remained high even in the presence of model bio-oil-relevant oxygenated phenolics and carbonyl compounds, and real bio-oil produced from corncob pyrolysis (88% selectivity for C2H6). In situ Raman spectroscopy was performed to examine catalytic events at the electrode interface and determine the unique selectivity toward AA during the KBE reaction.",

author = "Yangxin Jin and Shengqin Liu and Zhe Wang and Qi Zhu and Qingguo Le and Shan Shao and Hsu, {Sam H.Y.} and Anqing Zheng and Jun Zhao and Lam, {Jason Chun Ho}",

note = "The author acknowledges the generous financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22109133) and Research Grants Council (CityU 11302623). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 The Royal Society of Chemistry.",

year = "2025",

month = jun,

day = "4",

doi = "10.1039/d5ee01214g",

language = "English",

journal = "Energy and Environmental Science",

issn = "1754-5692",

publisher = "Royal Society of Chemistry",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Low-temperature highly selective Kolbe electrolysis of acetic acid in bio-oil on a stable in situ grown RuO2/TiO2 at industrial-level current

AU - Jin, Yangxin

AU - Liu, Shengqin

AU - Wang, Zhe

AU - Zhu, Qi

AU - Le, Qingguo

AU - Shao, Shan

AU - Hsu, Sam H.Y.

AU - Zheng, Anqing

AU - Zhao, Jun

AU - Lam, Jason Chun Ho

N1 - The author acknowledges the generous financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22109133) and Research Grants Council (CityU 11302623). Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

PY - 2025/6/4

Y1 - 2025/6/4

N2 - Acetic acid (AA) is abundant in biomass pyrolysis oil (bio-oil) but its presence can hinder the use and storage of bio-oil. In this study, we developed a highly stable in situ grown ruthenium dioxide (RuO2)/titanium dioxide (TiO2) catalyst for Kolbe electrolysis (KBE) at high current densities, converting AA to ethane (C2H6) with an 82% (±5%) selectivity. The RuO2/TiO2 catalyst sustained at least 150 hours of KBE at 100 mA cm−2, converting 3300 mmol of AA into 32.6 L of C2H6 with a faradaic efficiency of 74.1%. The selectivity for C2H6 remained high even in the presence of model bio-oil-relevant oxygenated phenolics and carbonyl compounds, and real bio-oil produced from corncob pyrolysis (88% selectivity for C2H6). In situ Raman spectroscopy was performed to examine catalytic events at the electrode interface and determine the unique selectivity toward AA during the KBE reaction.

AB - Acetic acid (AA) is abundant in biomass pyrolysis oil (bio-oil) but its presence can hinder the use and storage of bio-oil. In this study, we developed a highly stable in situ grown ruthenium dioxide (RuO2)/titanium dioxide (TiO2) catalyst for Kolbe electrolysis (KBE) at high current densities, converting AA to ethane (C2H6) with an 82% (±5%) selectivity. The RuO2/TiO2 catalyst sustained at least 150 hours of KBE at 100 mA cm−2, converting 3300 mmol of AA into 32.6 L of C2H6 with a faradaic efficiency of 74.1%. The selectivity for C2H6 remained high even in the presence of model bio-oil-relevant oxygenated phenolics and carbonyl compounds, and real bio-oil produced from corncob pyrolysis (88% selectivity for C2H6). In situ Raman spectroscopy was performed to examine catalytic events at the electrode interface and determine the unique selectivity toward AA during the KBE reaction.

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UR - https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2025/ee/d5ee01214g

U2 - 10.1039/d5ee01214g

DO - 10.1039/d5ee01214g

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:105007751020

SN - 1754-5692

JO - Energy and Environmental Science

JF - Energy and Environmental Science

ER -

Low-temperature highly selective Kolbe electrolysis of acetic acid in bio-oil on a stable in situ grown RuO₂/TiO₂ at industrial-level current

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