Electrosynthesis of amino acids from biomass-derived α-hydroxyl acids

Electrochemical conversion of biomass-derived intermediate compounds to high-value products has emerged as a promising approach in the field of biorefinery. Biomass upgrading allows for the production of chemicals from non-fossil-based carbon sources and capitalization on electricity as a green energy input. Amino acids, as products of biomass upgrading, have received relatively little attention. Pharmaceutical and food industries will benefit from an alternative strategy for the production of amino acids that does not rely on inefficient fermentation processes. The use of renewable biomass resources as starting materials makes this proposed strategy more desirable. Herein, we report an electrochemical approach for the selective oxidation of biomass-derived alpha-hydroxyl acids to alpha-keto acids, followed by electrochemical reductive amination to yield amino acids as the final products. Such a strategy takes advantage of both reactions at the anode and cathode and produces amino acids under ambient conditions with high energy efficiency. A flow electrolyzer was also successfully employed for the conversion of alpha-hydroxyl acids to amino acids, highlighting its great potential for large-scale application.

Automated summary

Electrochemical conversion of biomass-derived intermediate compounds to high-value products is a promising approach in biorefinery, with relatively little attention given to amino acids as products. This study reports an electrochemical approach that combines selective oxidation and electrochemical reductive amination for efficient production of amino acids.