TACKLING ELECTROCATALYTIC OXIDATION OF GLYCEROL TO DIHYDROXYACETONE: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW

Biodiesel, developed as an alternative to natural fossils, is produced by a transesterification reaction. The main co-product of this reaction is represented by glycerol, whose production in 2020 exceeded 6 times the current demand. A consequence of the spreading of biodiesel market was a drop of glycerol price. This versatile biomass-derived compound can be used as an important raw material for the manufacture of valuable chemicals including dihydroxyacetone (DHA), which is the most high-valued glycerol-derived product. Despite all the research devoted to achieve selective oxidation of the secondary alcohol group, this issue remains a scientific challenge. Among several routes for glycerol valorization, electrochemistry is an attractive process as discussed in this review. After a short introduction, which describes non-electrochemical methods, electrochemical oxidations on precious (based on Pt, Pd, Au and Ag) and non-precious metal electrocatalysts is discussed, with a specific focus on selectivity towards DHA.