An electrochemical oscillatory flow reactor with pillar array electrodes improving mass transfer in electrosynthesis

Abstract

Synthetic organic electrochemistry, due to its advantages in terms of environmental impact and energy demand, has in the past years increasingly attracted researchers and companies. Consequently, a variety of (commercially available) electrochemical reactors have been developed. However, the focus remained on conducting fundamental electrochemical research rather than on scalability and productivity. In this work, we present a novel electrochemical reactor concept by applying an oscillatory flow regime in a reactor fitted with conductive pillar field electrodes which serve both as electroactive interface and turbulence promotor. The use of this electrochemical oscillatory flow reactor (eOFR) enabled the control and improvement of mass transfer, irrespective of residence time. This resulted in current densities rise up to 4-fold versus conventional steady state flow regimes and as such, this novel reactor bridges the gap between fundamental research and industrial applications.