Researcher(s)
- Patience Adodoadji, Environmental Science, University of Delaware
Faculty Mentor(s)
- Emil Hernández-Pagán, Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware
Abstract
As a byproduct of biodiesel, glycerol has become increasingly available in recent years due to the rise in biofuel as a renewable alternative to the familiar, yet harmful and depleting resource we know as fossil fuels. Previous research has shown that glycerol possesses certain properties that make it suitable for electrochemical reactions. These reactions are called glycerol electrochemical oxidation reactions (GEOR) and have led to the production of numerous added-value products that can be 100 to 1000 times more expensive than glycerol alone. However, many studies have primarily focused on noble-metal catalysts for these reactions, which are known to be expensive and scarce. Alternative catalysts, such as those containing first row transition metals, are compelling candidates for these conversions due to their stability, abundance, and cost-effectiveness. When using metal oxide catalysts in these reactions, LSV graphs showed an earlier onset potential with the catalysts than without, concluding that glycerol does have oxidative potential with metal oxides. One product was also produced, which, using NMR, was found to be formic acid, an important compound in the food industry.