Controllable oxidation of cyclohexanone to produce sodium adipate in an electrochemical reactor with a Pt NPs/Ti membrane electrode

An electrocatalytic membrane reactor (ECMR) with an anode consisting of Pt nanoparticles (NPs) loaded on a Ti membrane electrode (Pt NPs/Ti) was designed to oxidize cyclohexanone (K) to produce sodium adipate (SA) under mild conditions. The effects of residence time, reaction temperature, current density and initial K concentration on K conversion were investigated. Optimization experiments were conducted to determine the effects of and interactions between different operating parameters on K conversion using a central composite design within the response surface methodology. A 88.3% conversion of K and 99% selectivity to SA were obtained by the ECMR under the optimum conditions of reaction temperature = 30.8 degrees C, K concentration = 22.54 mmol L-1, residence time = 25 min and current density = 2.07 mA cm(-2). The high performance of the ECMR is attributed to electrocatalytic oxidation (at the Pt NPs/Ti electrode), convection-enhanced mass transfer, and the timely removal of the desired products.

Automated summary

The electrocatalytic membrane reactor (ECMR) with Pt nanoparticles loaded on a Ti membrane electrode was able to efficiently oxidize cyclohexanone to produce sodium adipate under mild conditions. Optimization experiments revealed the significant impact of different operating parameters on the conversion of cyclohexanone and the selectivity to sodium adipate. The high performance of the ECMR was attributed to electrocatalytic oxidation, convection-enhanced mass transfer, and timely product removal.