Balanced cathodic debromination and hydrogen evolution reactions endow highly selective epoxidation of styrene

The olefin epoxidation is a significant conversion that has sparked the scientific community's interest due to the importance of epoxide in the chemical industry. Conventional techniques produce hazardous oxidants and necessitate hard operating conditions and complicated separation processes. Electro-epoxidation based on Br- / Br-2 is considered as an eco-friendly method, while unsatisfied electrode performance limits their selectivity and Faraday efficiency. Here, we develop an economical and highly selective electrochemical strategy for styrene epoxidation using acid and heat modified graphite felt (AHGF) electrodes, which exhibit abundant electro-chemical active sites for superior anodic bromide oxidation and facilitated cathodic debromination. After optimizing reaction conditions, we obtain a 99% selectivity of styrene oxide with a Faraday efficiency (FE) of 89% at 30 mA. We discover that the remarkable performance results from the balanced cathodic debromination and hydrogen evolution reactions (HER). We explore this strategy on various styrene-based substrates and believe it has great potential for industrial applications.

Automated summary

This study developed an economical and highly selective electrochemical strategy for styrene epoxidation using AHGF electrodes, showcasing great potential for industrial applications.