Electrochemical hydrogen production from biomass

International audienceThermodynamic data indicate that the oxidation of oxygenated organic species originating form biomass instead of water at the anode of an electrolysis cell should allow decreasing the cell voltage below 1.23 V. Bio-sourced alcohols, polyols, sugars, lignocellulosic compounds, and their derivatives are then electro-reformed to produce clean hydrogen at the cathode and compounds at the anode of electrolysis cells. The reported studies highlight the main challenges to make electro-reforming a future industrial process: higher reaction kinetics and hydrogen evolution rate, better selectivity of anode catalysts towards the formation of CO2 or added-value compounds, and utilization of non-strategical metals. An attractive solution to decrease hydrogen production costs and to make bankable other economic activities consists in directly valuing wastes from agriculture/forestry (lignocellulosic raw materials) and/or wastes from biofuel industries