Electrochemical oxidation of alcohols using heterobimetallic catalysts

CHED 1164

Christina J. Sweeney, csween1@lsu.edu1, Lisa McElwee-White, lmwhite@chem.ufl.edu2, and Marie Correia2. (1) Department of Chemistry, Louisiana State University, P.O. Box 80, Akers, LA 70421, (2) Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, P.O. Box 117200, Gainesville, FL 32611-7200
Heterobimetallic Ru/Pt, Ru/Pd, and Ru/Au complexes and their Fe/Pt, Fe/Pd, and Fe/Au analogues were synthesized and confirmed to be catalysts for the electrochemical oxidation of ethanol. The liquid organic products were acetaldehyde, acetic acid, and ethyl acetate. Current efficiencies are higher for the binuclear complexes than for the mononuclear Ru compounds. After running bulk electrolysis on the catalysts and analyzing samples with the GC, we determined that the major four electron product was acetic acid and the two electron product is acetaldehyde. However, additional testing is planned to determine if ethyl acetate is being produced.
 

Undergraduate Research Poster Session: Inorganic Chemistry
2:00 PM-4:00 PM, Monday, April 7, 2008 Morial Convention Center -- Hall A, Poster

Division of Chemical Education

The 235th ACS National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, April 6-10, 2008