Photoelectrochemical Glycerol Valorization: Choice of Electrolyte and Product Analysis Using HPLC
Heejung Kong a b, Roel van de Krol a b, Fatwa F. Abdi c, Marco Favaro a
a Institute for Solar Fuels, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie GmbH, Hahn-Meitner-Platz 1, 14109 Berlin, Germany
b Institut für Chemie, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 124, 10623 Berlin, Germany
c School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Hong Kong SAR, China
Materials for Sustainable Development Conference (MATSUS)
Proceedings of MATSUS Fall 2024 Conference (MATSUSFall24)
#(P)EC-Bio2X - (Photo)electrochemical biomass and waste valorization for sustainable energy and chemical production
Lausanne, Switzerland, 2024 November 12th - 15th
Organizers: Georg Kastlunger, Hui Luo and Camilo A. Mesa
Oral, Heejung Kong, presentation 290
DOI: https://doi.org/10.29363/nanoge.matsusfall.2024.290
Publication date: 28th August 2024

Glycerol, often regarded as a waste byproduct of biodiesel production, can be upgraded into various higher-value chemicals through selective partial oxidation. A promising ‘green’ pathway is the photoelectrochemical (PEC) oxidation of glycerol; due to the high value of the targeted products, such as dihydroxyacetone, this route offers a more favorable techno-economic case than, for example, PEC water splitting[RK1] . In this study, we present two key aspects of PEC glycerol oxidation using BiVO4 thin films as a model photoanode. First, we explore the impact of the electrolyte on the PEC performance of BiVO4. Our experimental findings demonstrate that both the anion and cation of the electrolyte profoundly influence performance, affecting parameters such as photocurrent, stability, and selectivity towards glycerol oxidation products. Notably, NaNO3 is identified as the optimal electrolyte for PEC glycerol oxidation with BiVO4, outperforming the previously favored Na2SO4. Second, we address the challenge of peak overlap in high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis, particularly between glycerol, dihydroxyacetone, and formic acid. We propose a quantification protocol that resolves these peak overlaps using various detectors, including the refractive index (RI) and variable-wavelength UV detectors. Glycolaldehyde emerges as the most dominant product from BiVO4.

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