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Does electrifying organic synthesis pay off? The energy efficiency of electro-organic conversions

Part of: Solar Energy and the Circular Economy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 December 2020

Johannes Seidler ,
Jana Strugatchi ,
Tobias Gärtner  and
Siegfried R. Waldvogel
Johannes Seidler
Affiliation:
ESy-Labs GmbH, An der Irler Höhe 3a, 93055Regensburg, Germany Department of Chemistry, Johannes Gutenberg University, Duesbergweg 10–14, 55128Mainz, Germany
Jana Strugatchi
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry, Johannes Gutenberg University, Duesbergweg 10–14, 55128Mainz, Germany
Tobias Gärtner*
Affiliation:
ESy-Labs GmbH, An der Irler Höhe 3a, 93055Regensburg, Germany
Siegfried R. Waldvogel*
Affiliation:
ESy-Labs GmbH, An der Irler Höhe 3a, 93055Regensburg, Germany Department of Chemistry, Johannes Gutenberg University, Duesbergweg 10–14, 55128Mainz, Germany
*
Address all correspondence to Siegfried R. Waldvogel at waldvogel@uni-mainz.de and Tobias Gärtner at tobias.gaertner@esy-labs.de
Address all correspondence to Siegfried R. Waldvogel at waldvogel@uni-mainz.de and Tobias Gärtner at tobias.gaertner@esy-labs.de
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Abstract

The electrification of organic syntheses is a vividly growing research field and has attracted tremendous attention by the chemical industry. This review highlights aspects of electrosynthesis that are rarely addressed in other articles on the topic: the energy consumption and energy efficiency of technically relevant electro-organic syntheses.

Four examples on different scales are outlined.

Electro-organic synthesis has experienced a renaissance within the past years. This review addresses the energy efficiency or energy demand of electrochemically driven transformations as it is a key parameter taken into account by, for example, decision makers in industry. The influential factors are illustrated that determine the energy efficiency and discussed what it takes for an electrochemical process to be classified as “energy efficient.” Typical advantages of electrosynthetic approaches are summarized and characteristic aspects regarding the efficiency of electro-organic processes, such as electric energy consumption, are defined. Technically well-implemented examples are described to illustrate the possible benefits of electrochemical approaches. Further, promising research examples are highlighted and show that the conversion of fine chemicals is rather attractive than the electrochemical generation of synthetic fuels.

Keywords

electrochemical synthesisefficiencysustainability
Type
Review Article
Information
MRS Energy & Sustainability , Volume 7 , 2020 , E42
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2020, published on behalf of Materials Research Society by Cambridge University Press

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Footnotes

†

These authors contributed equally to this work.

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