PhD defence Astrid Kjær Steffensen

Abstract

Today, the production of chemicals used in everyday life, including plastics, detergents and pharmaceuticals, relies on fossil resources as an energy and carbon source. Since fossil resources are finite and contribute to climate change, a transition to more sustainable chemical production is vital. Biomass represents an abundant and renewable source of carbon. A promising route for chemical production from biomass is electrochemical synthesis, where  renewable electricity drives chemical reactions. This method enables efficient reactions at low temperatures and without the use of hazardous oxidizing or reducing agents.

Despite these advantages, many electrosynthetic methods rely on organic solvents that conduct electricity poorly. Additional salt must therefore be added, leading to increased waste generation. The development of recyclable electrolyte systems is therefore of interest. This thesis explores strategies to improve the environmental footprint of electrosynthesis by employing alternative solvents as recyclable electrolytes and biomass-derived starting materials.

Principal Supervisor: 
Professor Anders Riisager, DTU Chemistry

Co-supervisors: 
Associate Professor Helena Lundberg, KTH Stockholm

Examiners:
Professor Esben Thormann, DTU Chemistry
Professor Kevin Lam, University of Greenwich, UK
Professor Katharina Schröder, TU Wien, Austria

Chairperson:
Professor Søren Kegnæs, DTU Chemistry