Self‐Standing Carbon Nanofibers@Carbon Felt Electrodes to Boost Electrolyzer Productivity: Application to the Electro‐Manufacturing of trans ‐3‐Hexenedioic Acid and Adipic Acid
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The industrial implementation of electrosynthesis for chemical manufacturing remains constrained by the limited surface area of conventional electrodes. Herein, this challenge is addressed by designing a carbon nanofiber@carbon felt (CNF@CF) electrode platform that combines the high conductivity, flexibility, and ease of handling of commercial carbon felts (CF) with the large surface area and tunable surface chemistry of carbon nanofibers (CNFs). CNFs are deliberately grown onto the CF scaffold to form a sword-in-sheath structure, where entangled nanofibers wrap the felt macrofibers to provide excellent mechanical stability and electrical conductivity without binders. CNF@CF is evaluated both as an electrode and as a catalyst support for the electrochemical hydrogenation of cis,cis-muconic acid (ccMA), a biobased platform molecule key to the production of performance polyamides and renewable Nylon 6,6. As a noncatalytic electrode for the partial hydrogenation to trans-3-hexenedioic acid, CNF@CF achieves a threefold increase in both cumulative productivity and Faradaic efficiency (FE) compared to bare CF. A similar boost in catalytic activity and energy efficiency is observed using Pd/CNF@CF for the hydrogenation of ccMA to adipic acid. These results highlight the opportunities of the CNF@CF platform for electro-organic synthesis and sustainable chemical manufacturing.
Source: ChemSusChem
Institutions: Iowa State University, Ames National Laboratory
Language: English
Field: Energy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,550
Awards: G1286251239, G1418315740, G1519358529, G2316606464, G2327333655, G2441759041, G249831736, G285533474, EFRI DCheM: Chemicals from Renewables Through Green Electrochemistry (ChaRGE), G524707868, RII Track-2 FEC:Cost-effective Conversion of Natural Gas and Biomass to Hydrogen and Performance Carbons, G969889393
OpenAlex ID: W4415175148