TY - DATA
T1 - Data underlying the publication: Selective Electrochemical Desorption of Fermentation-derived n-Caproate from Activated Carbon
PY - 2025/01/17
AU - Yong Jin
AU - Kasper D. de Leeuw
AU - Carlos Contreras Davila
AU - Natalia Nadal Alemany
AU - David Strik
UR - 
DO - 10.4121/3965adbb-87dd-4943-ab32-b52774cb56ac.v1
KW - activated carbon
KW - carboxylates sorption
KW - electrochemical desorption
KW - volatile fatty acids
KW - n-caproate.
N2 - <p class="ql-align-justify">Granular activated carbon (GAC) is a promising sorbent for efficiently recovering carboxylates from fermentation processes. However, conventional desorption methods typically require chemicals or high-energy inputs. This study presents a proof-of-concept electrochemical approach integrating GAC into a cathode configuration to desorb sorbed carboxylates. Ten replicate sorption and desorption experiments were conducted using various carboxylate-containing solutions as the catholyte. In sorption experiments with a fermentation broth containing 3 g/L of acetate, 5.7 g/L of n-butyrate, and 10.5 g/L of n-caproate, the activated carbon Norit PK 1-3 exhibited high sorption selectivity (<em>S</em><sub><em>S</em></sub>) for n-caproate (94%) compared to acetate (5%) and n-butyrate (1%). Desorption was achieved by applying a cell potential, resulting in a current density of approximately 4 to 10 mA/cm<sup>2</sup>. Under these conditions, a maximum desorption yield (<em>η</em><sub><em>D</em></sub>) of 77% was achieved for n-caproate when it was the sole carboxylate in the catholyte. From the fermentation broth, the desorption yield (<em>η</em><sub><em>D</em></sub>) of n-caproate from GAC reached 54%, with a desorption selectivity (<em>S</em><sub><em>D</em></sub>) of 97%. This electricity-driven desorption process achieved a yield (<em>η</em><sub><em>D</em></sub>) threefold higher than the NaOH-driven benchmark method. When GAC was not in direct contact with the cathode electrode, the desorption yield dropped by 2.5 times. This finding highlights that GAC functions as a sorbent and plays an active role in desorption, particularly when incorporated into the cathode electrode assembly. This electricity-driven desorption concept holds the potential for integrating electrodialysis systems to recover carboxylates from fermentation processes.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p>
ER -