【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Engineering Equipment】2164–2025 kW-class electrolytic water hydrogen production combined with green oxidation for succinic acid/glycolic acid production technology

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Give praise and encouragement to the achievements made in China’s chemical engineering technology and equipment; your participation in discussions is the greatest encouragement. **********************【Ten Years of Great Development in Chemical Engineering Equipment】Regular updates and summaries are available; feel free to join the discussions at https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-3576046-1-1.html ***************** On January 5, 2025, the technology for producing hydrogen through kilowatt-level electrolysis coupled with green oxidation processes to generate succinic acid/glycolic acid passed the evaluation of scientific and technological achievements organized by the Chinese Chemical Society in Beijing. The appraisal expert group believes that the hydrogen production via water electrolysis coupled with oxidation process is innovative and ranks at the international leading level. This technological achievement addresses the challenge of improving efficiency and reducing costs in hydrogen production via water electrolysis. It was developed through collaborative efforts by Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Tsinghua University, and Quzhou Institute of Resource and Chemical Innovation, based on the original concept of \"coupled oxidation in water electrolysis for hydrogen production\" proposed by Academician Duan Xue. The main innovations of this project include the following three points. First, it proposed the original concept of coupling water electrolysis for hydrogen production with oxidation, and developed a coupled reaction system. It revealed the reaction mechanism by which water at the anode surface is controllably activated to generate \"reactive oxygen species\" for the selective oxidation of organic compounds, and this innovative concept was verified in over 30 coupled reaction systems. After process coupling, the energy consumption for hydrogen production is reduced by over 20% compared to that of traditional water electrolysis, the hydrogen production efficiency increases by 2 to 40 times, and the purity of the hydrogen exceeds 99.99%. Second, a technological system for the green synthesis of two types of degradable monomers via electrolytic water hydrogen production has been developed. This technological achievement has led to the development of electrocatalysts for organic oxidation at the anode and efficient hydrogen production at the cathode, which possess both high activity and high stability. It has also resulted in the advancement of two methods for electrode scale-up: catalyst coating films and electrodeposition. Third, the first kilowatt-class electrolytic water hydrogen production coupled oxidation reaction system was independently designed and integrated. This technological achievement led to the development of a prototype reactor that combines water electrolysis for hydrogen production with oxidation in microchannels; separation and purification techniques for the products were developed, and kilowatt-level reaction devices and systems for the green synthesis of succinic acid/glycolic acid via water electrolysis were created, enabling the annual production of tons of these compounds on a single production line. It is reported that this technological achievement has received support from projects such as the **Major Projects of the Natural Science Foundation**, key research and development programs, as well as independently developed projects by the Quzhou Resources and Chemicals Innovation Institute. To date, **12 invention patents have been granted**, and 3 enterprise standards have been established, thereby ensuring independent intellectual property rights. Next, the project team will take this as an opportunity to further enhance the forward-looking nature and practicality of its research and development efforts, increase investment in scientific research, align closely with the actual needs of societal development, promote the efficient transformation and practical application of research results, accelerate the emergence of new forms of productivity, and inject more innovation into the industry’s progress.