Electroorganic reactions

Electrification is emerging as one of the most promising strategies for reducing CO₂ emissions in the chemical industry. While the electrochemical activation and production of small molecules like carbon dioxide (CO₂, TRL 5-6) and hydrogen (H₂, TRL 8-9) are already well-established with high Technology Readiness Levels, we are on the brink of a significant breakthrough in the conversion of more complex organic molecules. This marks the dawn of a new era in organic chemistry, where innovative electroorganic reactions are set to play a pivotal role in the sustainable chemical industry of the future.

Our Expertise and Interdisciplinary Approaches

By leveraging our expertise in catalyst, reactor, and process design, we pioneer application-oriented solutions for implementing electroorganic reactions. Our interdisciplinary team of chemists, mechanical and chemical engineers proactively tackles the unique opportunities and challenges posed by these reactions, particularly regarding component efficiency and stability. We are making significant strides in addressing solubility limitations of organic substrates in benign aqueous electrolytes while simultaneously advancing the optimization of neat organic conversions. By fostering collaboration and embracing cutting-edge technologies, we aim to redefine chemical synthesis and open up transformative possibilities that align with the global sustainability goals.

Our Key Research Areas

• Sustainable Catalyst Development: We create innovative noble metal free catalysts for efficient organic conversions.
• Electrode Development: We are designing novel electrode concepts specifically tailored for electroorganic reactions. These electrodes are optimized for the efficient conversion of highly concentrated organic substrates and can accommodate variable catalysts.
• Reactor Conceptualization & Manufacturing: We focus on in-house build scalable electrochemical reactors with industrial potential, enabling efficient transition to large-scale applications. Additionally, we employ rapid-parallel testing in innovative screening reactors to accelerate the evaluation of reaction conditions and catalyst performance.
• Process Design & Optimization: We exploit machine learning algorithms to implement targeted process optimizations with a minimal number of experiments.
• Broad Substrate Scope: Our research encompasses a wide range of substrates, including alkynes, alkenes, aldehydes, acids, and ketones. Tailored electrochemical processes can be developed for nearly all reductive and oxidative transformations of organic molecules, depending on specific requirements.

Key publications

Kleinhaus, J. T.; Wolf, J.; Pellumbi, K.; Wickert, L.; Viswanathan, S. C.; Puring, K. junge; Siegmund, D.; Apfel, U.-P. Developing Electrochemical Hydrogenation towards Industrial Application. Chemical Society reviews / Royal Society of Chemistry 2023, 52 (21), 7305–7332. https://doi.org/10.1039/d3cs00419h

Kleinhaus, J. T.; Umer, S.; Pellumbi, K.; Wickert, L.; Wolf, J.; Puring, K. junge; Siegmund, D.; Apfel, U.; Apfel, U.-P. Electrochemical Hydrogenation of Aliphatic Aldehydes and Acids Using Pentlandite Catalysts. Chemie Ingenieur Technik 2024. https://doi.org/10.1002/cite.202300151

Wolf, J.; Pellumbi, K.; Haridas, S.; Kull, T.; Kleinhaus, J. T.; Wickert, L.; Apfel, U.; Siegmund, D.; Apfel, U.-P. Electroplated Electrodes for Continuous and Mass‐efficient Electrochemical Hydrogenation. Chemistry – A European Journal [ISSN: 0947-6539] 2023. https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202303808

Pellumbi, K.; Wickert, L.; Kleinhaus, J. T.; Wolf, J.; Leonard, A.; Tetzlaff, D.; Goy, R.; Medlock, J. A.; junge Puring, K.; Cao, R.; Siegmund, D.; Apfel, U.-P. Opening the Pathway towards a Scalable Electrochemical Semi-Hydrogenation of Alkynols via Earth-Abundant Metal Chalcogenides. Chemical science 2022, 13 (42), 12461–12468. https://doi.org/10.1039/d2sc04647d