Electrochemical conversion of a bio-derivable hydroxy acid to a drop-in oxygenate diesel fuel

Abstract

3-Hydroxy decanoic acid (3-HDA), derivable from glucose or xylose waste-streams, was successfully upgraded electrochemically into a drop-in oxygenate with promising fuel characteristics. Properties such as a cetane number of 63 together with a suitable flash point and cold filter plugging point qualify the mixture for high blending ratios with fossil diesel or Fischer–Tropsch diesel. The individual C₉ oxygenates are otherwise only accessible by hydroformylation. Under optimised conditions, anodic decarboxylation of 3-HDA allowed near full conversion and over 95% total yield after 30 minutes. Further, direct electrochemical 3-HDA conversion of a fermentation broth was demonstrated. This allows for a substantial reduction of unit operations and energy requirements, highlighting the potential of integrating electrochemistry and biotechnology into future bio-refineries.