Jang, Jun Ho Kim, Changsoo Nayal, Onkar S. Yeo, Jia Bin Kim, Gyu Ri Kim, Jinju Jo, Young In Lee, Ung Kwon, Min Sang Nam, Ki Tae 2024-10-25T03:00:06Z 2024-10-25T03:00:06Z 2024-10-23 2024-07 https://pubs.kist.re.kr/handle/201004/150834 Electrochemical methods have emerged as crucial strategies in the pursuit of achieving net-zero emissions, addressing key objectives such as hydrogen production, CO2 capture and CO2 conversion. Here we propose an electrochemically initiated process that integrates these three tasks while producing valuable industrial chemicals, such as hydrogen, ethylene carbonate and urethane polymers. In this approach, CO2, ethylene and water are transformed into ethylene carbonate and hydrogen, and the key to enabling this transformation is the discovery that CO2, captured as sodium bicarbonate, can be utilized in organic carbonate synthesis in an aqueous solution. Importantly, this transformation is mediated by succinimide, an organic catalyst that interacts with protons, bromine and CO2 throughout this process. Technoeconomic analysis and life-cycle assessment of a commercial-scale process based on our proposed reaction pathway reveals its profitability and environmental viability. In the future, this approach could be generalized for the synthesis of various organic carbonates, with implications for producing lithium battery electrolytes, carbonate polymers and non-isocyanate urethane polymers. English Springer Nature Electrochemically initiated synthesis of ethylene carbonate from CO2 Article 10.1038/s44160-024-00543-3 1 Nature Synthesis, v.3, no.7, pp.846 - 857 Nature Synthesis 3 7 846 857 N scopus 2-s2.0-85195297673