Noë Watson is a fourth-year doctoral researcher in the Heterogeneous Catalysis and Sustainable Chemistry group at the University of Amsterdam and the VOLTA department of Avantium Chemicals. Her research involves alkaline and CO2 electrolysers. She specifically studies alkaline polyol oxidation processes, as well as CO2 reduction for paired industrial electrolysis systems. She completed both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at the University of Amsterdam and VU Amsterdam. Her Bachelor research involved catalyst synthesis for CO2 hydrogenation, and during her Master’s research she studied the spontaneous hydrolysis of KBH4 for H2 production. Outside of academia, Noë is on the board as a treasurer of her local scouts group.

Lecture Title

Selective ethylene glycol oxidation: the struggles of industrial electrolysis

To transition towards a sustainable chemical industry, the replacement of fossil-based products by greener alternatives is a must.[1] Swapping out polyethylene terephthalate, a commonly used food packaging material, with poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PGLA) is an example of this. PGLA is biodegradable, can be produced from renewable materials and has great barrier properties.[2] The production of lactic acid, one of its monomers, is already possible through fermentation of biomass.[3] However, the second monomer, glycolic acid (GA), is still commercially produced from fossil resources.[4] GA can be obtained from the selective oxidation of ethylene glycol (EG), which in turn can be produced from biomass.[5]

Here, we present various Pd-Ag-Ni electrodes for the selective electro-oxidation of EG to GA. The electrode composition and it’s effect on ethylene glycol activity have been studied. Additionally, the electrolysis results under industrially relevant conditions will highlight the challenges ahead for affordable, non-fossil GA production.

References:

[1] L. Filiciotto, G. Rothenberg, ChemSusChem 2021, 14, 56–72.
[2] M. A. Murcia Valderrama, R.-J. van Putten, G.-J. M. Gruter, ACS Appl. Polym. Mater. 2020, 2, 2706–2718.
[3] A. Djukić-Vuković, D. Mladenović, J. Ivanović, J. Pejin, L. Mojović, Renewable Sustainable Energy Rev. 2019, 108, 238–252.
[4] D. Roberts, D. J. Watson, J. Swinney, Process for the Production of Glycolic Acid, 2020, US10640443B2.
[5] X. Zhou, M. Zha, J. Cao, H. Yan, X. Feng, D. Chen, C. Yang, ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng. 2021, 9, 10948–10962.