Premium
Hydrogen from Water is more than a Fuel: Hydrogenations and Hydrodeoxygenations for a Biobased Economy
Author(s) -
Harnisch Falk,
Morejón Micjel Chávez
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
the chemical record
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.61
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1528-0691
pISSN - 1527-8999
DOI - 10.1002/tcr.202100034
Subject(s) - hydrogen economy , biomass (ecology) , hydrogen , raw material , electrochemistry , energy carrier , carbon fibers , fossil fuel , catalysis , hydrogen production , chemistry , environmental science , process engineering , materials science , organic chemistry , engineering , ecology , electrode , composite number , composite material , biology
Worldwide a hydrogen‐based economy is on the political agenda. Its centre forms molecular hydrogen (H 2 ) that should serve mainly as energy carrier and fuel. However, currently and foreseeable in the future H 2 is playing its main role as reactant in the chemical industry. Electrolytic generation and storage of H 2 gas is energy demanding and may hardly become economically at the large scale. We argue that in the overall transition towards an economy that is based on biomolecules and CO 2 as carbon feedstock electrochemical hydrogenations and hydrodeoxygenations in aqueous solutions need to be moved in the centre. Departing from the well‐known fact that electrochemistry allows creating reactive hydrogen species from water, i. e. hydrogen in statu nascendi (H . ), at ambient temperature and pressure we illustrate the existing diversity of reactions based thereon. We focus on examples of model compounds from thermal biomass pretreatment and products from real thermal biomass pretreatment (bio‐oil). Consequently, we advocate that electrochemical hydrogenations and hydrodeoxygenations have to be further explored and interweaved into existing process lines.