Electrochemical Hydrogenation of Biomass-Derived Compounds for the Synthesis of High-Added Value Products

Electrochemical hydrogenation is emerging as a sustainable alternative to conventional thermal hydrogenation, enabling selective chemical transformations under mild conditions using renewable electricity. This thesis investigates the electrochemical hydrogenation of biomass-derived substrates such as 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, acetophenone, and benzonitrile; as model aldehydes, ketones, and nitriles. Using mainly copper-based electrodes, reaction pathways, selectivity, and efficiency were systematically analyzed across different electrolytes and operating conditions. Mechanistic studies revealed the key role of surface adsorption, electrode composition, and competition with the hydrogen evolution reaction in controlling product distribution. Tailored electrode–electrolyte combinations enabled high faradaic efficiencies toward valuable products such as 2,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)furan, 1-phenylethanol, and benzylamine. Overall, this work establishes design principles for tuning electrochemical hydrogenation selectivity and efficiency, contributing to the development of scalable, low-carbon routes for sustainable chemical production and biomass valorization.