Electrochemically mediated deoxygenation of biomass model compounds
by Kilyanek, Stefan M.
Deoxygenation of biomass derived material is critical to the sustainable synthesis of a variety of fuels, chem. feedstocks, and industrial precursors. Numerous reduction chemistries exist however most require the use of sacrificial redox agents. Our lab has developed several methods of reductive deoxygenation using only electrochem. potential and proton sources as reagents. We will discuss the use of early metal oxo complexes supported by a variety of pincer ligands to afford electrochem. deoxygenation reactions of polyols and other surrogate mols. with functionality similar to lignin. Kinetics and reaction mechanisms will be discussed as well as complimentary DFT calculations