PAIRED ELECTROCHEMICAL SYNTHESIS OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS

AT PRESENT GLUCOSE IS COMMERCIALLY REDUCED TO SORBITOL BUT THE OPERATING CONDITIONS USED (HIGH TEMPERATURE AND HIGH HYDROGEN GAS PRESSURE) ARE UNDESIRABLE AND DANGEROUS. AN ALTERNATIVE APPROACH IS THE PAIRED ELECTROCHEMICAL SYNTHESISOF SORBITOL AND GLUCONIC ACID IN AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS AT AMBIENT TEMPERATURE AND ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE. HOWEVER, A MAJOR DRAWBACK TO THIS APPROACH AT PRESENT IS THE NEED FOR ADISSOLVED ELECTROLYTE TO PROVIDE IONIC CONDUCTIVITY IN SOLUTION AND TO SUPPLY THE REDOX MEDIATOR FOR THE INDIRECT OXIDATION OF GLUCOSE TO GLUCONIC ACID. THIS PROPOSAL DESCRIBES A NOVEL DIRECT ELECTROCHEMICAL APPROACH FOR THE PAIRED SYNTHESIS OF SORBITOL AND GLUCONIC ACID. THE APPROACH AVOIDS THE NEED FOR A DISSOLVED ELECTROLYTE IN THE GLUCOSE SOLUTION. THE PROPOSED PROCESS IS DESIGNED SO THAT THERE IS NO POSSIBILITY OF CONTAMINATION OF THE FINAL PRODUCTS WITH FOREIGN CHEMICALS OR TOXIC MATERIALS. THE PROCESS IS UNIQUE IN THAT IT WILL ALLOW ALL REACTIONS (HYDROLYSIS, ACID CATALYSIS, OXIDATION AND REDUCTION) TO TAKE PLACE IN THE SAME REACTOR WITHOUT INTRODUCTION OF AN EXTERNAL ACID OR LIQUID ELECTROLYTE. THIS WILL AVOID THE PROBLEM OF SEPARATING SUCH ADDITIVES FROM THE FINAL PRODUCTS.