Ceramatec, Inc.

Pallavi Chitta

Sai Bhavaraju

Mukund Karanjikar

Ashok V Joshi

David Joel Hunt

A method that produces coupled radical products from biomass. The method involves obtaining a lipid or carboxylic acid material from the biomass. This material may be a carboxylic acid, an ester of a carboxylic acid, a triglyceride of a carboxylic acid, or a metal salt of a carboxylic acid, or any other fatty acid derivative. This lipid material or carboxylic acid material is converted into an alkali metal salt. The alkali metal salt is then used in an anolyte as part of an electrolytic cell. The electrolytic cell may include an alkali ion conducting membrane (such as a NaSICON membrane). When the cell is operated, the alkali metal salt of the carboxylic acid decarboxylates and forms radicals. Such radicals are then bonded to other radicals, thereby producing a coupled radical product such as a hydrocarbon. The produced hydrocarbon may be, for example, saturated, unsaturated, branched, or unbranched, depending upon the starting material.

Method of producing coupled radical products from biomass

An aryl-alkyl (R&#x2014;Ar) hydrocarbon is prepared by an electrosynthesis process in an electrolytic cell having an alkali ion conductive membrane positioned between an anolyte compartment configured with an anode and a catholyte compartment configured with a cathode. An anolyte solution containing an alkali metal salt of an alkyl carboxylic acid and an aryl compound is introduced into the anolyte compartment. The aryl compound may include an alkali metal salt of an aryl carboxylic acid, an arene (aromatic) hydrocarbon, or an aryl alkali metal adduct (ArM). The anolyte solution undergoes electrolytic decarboxylation to form an alkyl radical. The alkyl radical reacts with the aryl compound to produce the aryl-alkyl hydrocarbon.

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Pallavi Chitta