Methyl formate (MF) is an important intermediate in the production of essential chemicals such as formic acid in the chemical industry. Although MF is currently synthesized via liquidphase carbonylation of methanol, this carbonylation process has certain problems (e.g., catalyst deactivation). In this regard, alternative processes for MF production have been extensively examined, and MF formation with a high selectivity and high production rate at mild reaction conditions remains a critical goal in research. Here, we demonstrated MF synthesis via direct electrolysis of methanol at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. A membrane electrode assembly (MEA) consisting of Pt/ C electrocatalysts and proton-exchange membranes (PEMs) played an important role in this process. In the electrolysis of the methanol/water solution, CO 2 formation was suppressed as the water content decreased. Consequently, we found that the electrolysis of pure methanol produced MF without the formation of CO 2 . MF was produced through the electrolysis of pure methanol for 24 h with an average formation rate of 930 mmol MF h −1 g cat −1 and a turnover frequency of 468 h −1 . The formation rate of MF via pure-methanol electrolysis using the MEA was comparable to previously reported systems. After the electrosynthesis of MF, the MEA could be reused. On the basis of cyclic voltammetry, transmission electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy measurements and electrolysis results, a reaction pathway for the oxidation of pure methanol to MF was proposed.

Poly(p-phenylene)-based sulfonated polymers with well-controlled IECs were synthesized via a three-step procedure including preceding sulfonation of precursor monomers.

Electrochemical water splitting is a key technology for the conversion of renewable energy into chemical resources such as hydrogen. However, the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), a half-reaction of water splitting, is so slow that various effective catalysts for the OER have been explored. In this study, we demonstrate a simple and direct process for the synthesis of OER-active NiFe catalysts over electrodes. A NiFe/C catalyst layer was formed on a glassy carbon electrode by simply dropping the catalyst ink containing only metal nitrates and carbon black. The catalyst layer exhibited higher OER performance than the state-of-the-art Ir/C catalyst. The presence of carbon black is essential to enhance the OER activity of NiFe because carbon black helps to disperse the NiFe active sites. Cyclic voltammetry indicated that Ni and Fe are adjacent to each other on the surface of carbon black, resulting in significantly higher activity of NiFe/C compared to those of Ni/C and Fe/C. The effects of the Ni/Fe ratio, amount of carbon black, and type of carbon black on the OER activity of NiFe/C were examined in detail. Furthermore, we discuss the factors that determine the OER performance of NiFe/C.