Photochemical Hydrogen Peroxide Production via Light-Driven Copper Catalysts
Solution Overview
Problem
Current hydrogen peroxide manufacturing processes, such as the anthraquinone oxidation/reduction process, are energy-intensive, costly, and environmentally harmful due to high temperatures, pressures, and the use of rare metal catalysts, while also posing safety risks and lacking eco-friendly and low-carbon production methods suitable for industrial-scale use.
Innovation Solution
A hydrogen peroxide manufacturing process and system utilizing a photochemical reaction, involving the generation of hydrogen peroxide by supplying oxygen and irradiating light to an organic reaction solution, followed by extraction into an aqueous solution and purification using a reverse osmosis membrane, with a hydrophobic organic solvent comprising at least 50 volume % of the organic reaction solution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the anthraquinone oxidation/reduction process is used to produce hydrogen peroxide, then hydrogen peroxide can be generated through a repetitive oxidation/reduction cycle, but high temperature (50°C or higher) and high pressure (4 bar or more) conditions are required, resulting in high energy consumption and high production costs
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the reaction parameters from high temperature and high pressure conditions to ambient temperature and pressure conditions by using a photochemical reaction system. The reaction is driven by light energy instead of thermal energy, fundamentally altering the energy input parameters of the process.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the thermal-mechanical reaction system (heating and pressurization) with a photochemical system. Light irradiation activates the catalyst and initiates the oxidation reaction, substituting thermal energy input with optical energy input to achieve hydrogen peroxide production under milder conditions.
2Quantity of substance
If rare metal catalysts such as palladium (Pd) are used in the anthraquinone oxidation/reduction process, then the oxidation/reduction cycle can be maintained, but the cost increases significantly and there is high dependence on resource imports
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces expensive rare metal catalysts with a non-precious metal catalyst system based on copper. This substitution dramatically reduces the material cost and eliminates dependence on imported rare metals, making the process economically viable for large-scale production.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the catalyst composition from rare metals to abundant copper-based materials, fundamentally altering the economic parameters of the process by using readily available, low-cost materials that do not require import dependency.
3Quantity of substance
If the anthraquinone oxidation/reduction process is used, then hydrogen peroxide can be produced, but a large amount of carbon is generated and toxic reaction by-products are produced, causing environmental problems
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the thermal oxidation process with a photochemical oxidation process. Light-driven copper catalysts activate molecular oxygen to generate hydrogen peroxide through a cleaner reaction pathway that avoids the formation of carbon emissions and toxic by-products associated with high-temperature thermal processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The photochemical reaction system operates in a cleaner, more selective manner that inherently avoids the formation of harmful by-products. The reaction environment is controlled through light activation rather than high-temperature thermal conditions, preventing the generation of carbon emissions and toxic substances.
4Quantity of substance
If hydrogen (H2) gas is used in the anthraquinone oxidation/reduction process, then the reduction reaction can proceed, but there is a risk of explosion
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the hydrogen-based reduction system with an electrochemical or photochemical reduction system. Instead of using flammable hydrogen gas, the reduction of the quinone form is achieved through electron transfer in an aqueous solution, eliminating the explosion hazard entirely while maintaining the oxidation/reduction cycle functionality.
5Object-generated harmful factors
If electrochemical technology or photocatalyst technology is used to produce hydrogen peroxide in an eco-friendly manner, then carbon emissions are reduced, but there are clear limitations in performance, production scale, and purification costs, making practical use difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses a composite catalyst system combining copper nanoparticles with support materials, creating a highly efficient photochemical catalyst that overcomes the limitations of simple photocatalyst technology. This composite structure enhances both the production efficiency and scalability while maintaining eco-friendly operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention optimizes multiple parameters including light wavelength, catalyst concentration, oxygen flow rate, and reaction time to achieve high production efficiency. By systematically adjusting these parameters, the system overcomes the performance limitations of conventional photocatalyst technology and achieves scalable production with reasonable purification costs.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This process improves the efficiency and purity of hydrogen peroxide production, achieving high concentration and purity levels while reducing energy consumption and environmental impact, making it suitable for industrial-scale, eco-friendly, and safe hydrogen peroxide production.
Implementation Method 1
generating hydrogen peroxide by reducing oxygen molecules within a repetitive oxidation/reduction cycle of anthraquinone molecules
Implementation Method 2
a purification step of filtering the extracted hydrogen peroxide aqueous solution using a reverse osmosis membrane
Implementation Method 3
an extraction step of separating the hydrogen peroxide into an aqueous solution by mixing the organic reaction solution in which the hydrogen peroxide is generated and water
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to hydrogen peroxide manufacturing process and manufacturing system based on a photochemical reaction. Specifically, the present invention relates to a series of hydrogen peroxide manufacturing processes of generating, extracting, and purifying hydrogen peroxide through a photochemical reaction, and a hydrogen peroxide manufacturing system which is applied with the manufacturing processes and consists of a photoreactor-extractor-purifier.