Electrochemical Upcycling of Pollutants

Abstract

The electrochemical conversion of pollutants provides a new and powerful way to upcycle these harmful substances into valuable intermediates. Electrosynthesis represents a future technology, which is characterized by its outstanding sustainability.[1] After carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide is the most prominent pollutant in flue gas. The direct electrochemical incorporation into more elaborated molecules has started recently.[2] The anodic conversion of arenes and subsequent reaction with sulfur dioxide adducts yield sulfonamides,[3] sulfonates,[4] and sulfamides.[5] Another pollutant from the era of highly chlorinated pesticides is hexachloro-cyclohexane. The non-suitable isomers of Lindane were piled-up in larges deposits ranging >7 Mio. t. By e-shuttle this can be converted to non-fossil benzene source.[6] The talk will discuss in detail the mechanistic details which led to greener processes.