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doi: 10.4121/3965adbb-87dd-4943-ab32-b52774cb56ac

Jin, John; de Leeuw, Kasper D.; Contreras Davila, Carlos; Natalia Nadal Alemany; Strik, David (2025): Data underlying the publication: Selective Electrochemical Desorption of Fermentation-derived n-Caproate from Activated Carbon. Version 1. 4TU.ResearchData. dataset. https://doi.org/10.4121/3965adbb-87dd-4943-ab32-b52774cb56ac.v1

Dataset

• Environmental Engineering
• Chemical Engineering
• Engineering

activated carbon, carboxylates sorption, electrochemical desorption, n-caproate., volatile fatty acids

CC BY 4.0

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by John Jin , Kasper D. de Leeuw , Carlos Contreras Davila , Natalia Nadal Alemany , David Strik

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 (S_S) 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/cm². Under these conditions, a maximum desorption yield (η_D) of 77% was achieved for n-caproate when it was the sole carboxylate in the catholyte. From the fermentation broth, the desorption yield (η_D) of n-caproate from GAC reached 54%, with a desorption selectivity (S_D) of 97%. This electricity-driven desorption process achieved a yield (η_D) 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. 

• 2025-01-17 first online, published, posted

4TU.ResearchData

spreadsheet/.xlsx

Selective Electrochemical Desorption of Fermentation-derived n-Caproate from Activated Carbon

Department of Agrotechnology and Food Sciences, Environmental Technology, Wageningen University and Research