3D Printed Microreactors for the Continuous Non‐Kolbe Electrolysis

AbstractIn the renaissance of organic electrochemistry, 150‐year‐old Kolbe chemistry offers a sustainable pathway to liquid energy carriers and commodities. Herein, easy‐access design methods for electrochemical microreactors employing 3D printing and simple post processing techniques are presented. The continuous Non‐Kolbe electrolysis of monomethyl succinic acid is studied as a test reaction for the production of an industrially relevant, green monomer. In a semi‐batch setup, methyl acrylate is produced with a maximum yield of 34 %, similar to results from a thoroughly optimized batch reaction in a prior study. In single‐pass experiments, a comparable faradaic efficiency of 54 % is achieved.