Metallic Impurities in Electrolysis: Catalytic Effect of Pb Traces in Reductive Amination and Acetone Reduction
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: The electrochemical hydrogenation (e-hydrogenation) of unsaturated compounds like imines or carbonyls presents a benign reduction method. It enables direct use of electrons as reducing agent, water as proton source, while bypassing the need for elevated temperatures or pressures. In this contribution, we discuss the active species in electrocatalytic reductive amination with the transformation of acetone and methylamine as model reaction. Surprisingly, lead impurities in the ppm-range proved to possess a significant effect in e-hydrogenation. Accordingly, the influence of applied potential and cathode material in presence of 1 ppm Pb was investigated. Finally, we transferred the insights to the reduction of acetone manifesting comparable observations as for imine reduction. The results suggest that previous studies on electrochemical reduction in the presence of lead electrodes should be re-evaluated.
Language: English
Field: Energy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $5,510
Awards: EXC 2186: Das Fuel Science Center – Adaptive Umwandlungssysteme für erneuerbare Energie und Kohlenstoffquellen, G214888987, G2361422460, G3332303838, NSF-DFG Echem: CAS: Electrochemical Pyrrolidone Synthesis: An Integrated Experimental and Theoretical Investigation of the Electrochemical Amination of Levulinic Acid (ElectroPyr), G7730095573
OpenAlex ID: W4401989669