Electrocatalytic Hydrogenation of Lignin-Derived Compounds

One of the most critical issues seen in the industry is too much dependence on fossil sources such as petroleum, natural gas, and coal. However, recent studies showed that biomass can also be an option for these processes besides their current usage areas. Biomass can also help the planet by using the produced CO2 during the cultivation of the plants used for the processes. Therefore, more efficient pre-treatment methods of lignocellulosic material are researched to obtain molecules with considerable commercial importance. Lignin, the most complex part of the lignocellulosic material, can also be a valuable source of the aromatic molecules currently produced from petrochemical processes. Hence, various methods, reagents, and conditions are tested. One of these alternative methods is using electrocatalytic cells, where the process can be carried out at ambient temperature and pressure, using a potentiostat as the source of potential. In this thesis, the electrocatalytic hydrogenation of lignin-derived molecules, phenolic and non-phenolic aromatic compounds, in acidic media was tested using Pd as the main catalyst. The effects of the reaction parameters such as applied potential, concentration, electrolyte, and pH are observed based on the experimental results for conversion, selectivity, productivity, and Faradaic efficiency. Finally, the results are discussed by comparing phenolic and non-phenolic compounds.