Redox-Mediated Modular Electrochemical Synthesis to Exploit Dynamic Electricity Markets and Electrochemically Recover Ammonia

Homogenous redox couples and heterogenous redox-active materials can be utilized to decouple electrochemical reactions. Decarbonizing the power grid requires the widespread adoption of renewable (wind/solar) power sources but the unpredictable and intermittent nature of renewable power motivates the development of flexible electrochemical manufacturing technologies that can shift power demand/supply across space-time and scales. I will discuss new redox-mediated modular electrochemical synthesis (ModES) strategies capable of providing demand flexibility at different timescales by participating in multiple electricity markets (day-ahead, real-time, and frequency regulation). Using a fast proton-conducting redox material, copper hexacyanoferrate, highly rate-mismatched modular electrochemical synthesis was achieved by decoupling half-reactions with different intrinsic kinetics to produce chemicals under drastically different reaction rates and timescales: the fast hydrogen evolution reaction and slow persulfate production reaction. Such a strategy enables flexible participation in different electricity markets and can reduce electricity cost of chemical production by 30-40%. I will also discuss how the electrochemical manufacturing of chemicals can be integrated with the electrochemical recovery of ammonium (and other nutrient) ions by using redox reservoir materials with ion selectivity. These results introduce innovative strategies for flexibly integrating modular electrochemical manufacturing processes various chemicals into the fluctuating power grid to achieve more economical and sustainable operations.