Mediator-assisted electrochemical hydrogenation of soybean oil

In this study, formate ion was used as a shuttle for transferring hydrogen to the surface of a hydrogenation catalyst (7% Ni/SiO2), where the soybean oil was reduced in such a way that the production of deleterious trans fatty acid was greatly reduced. The formate ion was regenerated at the cathode and thus acted as a mediator for the hydrogenation process. The effect of temperature, pH, and applied potential (current) on the fatty acid profile of the hydrogenated soybean oil was determined. The effects of oil and catalyst loadings on the final product quality were also determined. The application of a current density of 10 mA/cm(2) resulted in hydrogenated product with desired fatty acid composition. Kinetic studies were also performed for experiments conducted at constant potential conditions. A model that assumes: (i) the rate of regeneration of formate from its oxidized form (bicarbonate ion) is limited by the mass transport effects, and (ii) second-order elementary reaction rate expression was developed to describe the hydrogenation reaction was developed and tested. A good correlation between the model predictions and experimental data was observed. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.