Kinetic and Thermal Advantages of Intermediate Temperature Electrosynthesis

Temperature strongly influences chemical reactivity, but its impact on electrochemical synthesis is still being uncovered. Here, we develop an analytical framework using first-order estimates to build intuition for the impact of temperature on electrochemical kinetics, thermodynamics, and energetics. We first identify 80−260 °C as a practical, intermediate-temperature range for industrial synthesis based on an analysis of over 2000 thermochemical patents. We then describe electrochemical kinetics in terms of two scalar values that indicate to what extent added heat reduces overpotential requirements. Literature kinetic data suggest a benefit of about 1 mV/K extending to intermediate temperatures. When thermodynamics, kinetics, and cell resistance are considered together, we find that higher operating temperatures often reduce overall energy requirements. Ultimately, by applying fundamental electrochemical equations to existing data, we show that intermediate temperatures can not only enable kinetically difficult reactions but also can reduce additional heating and cooling costs, making temperature essential for practical electrochemical synthesis.