Data associated with "Chain-length Effects and Selectivity in Alkaline Polyol Electrooxidation from Glycerol to Xylitol"

The dataset here relates to a study in which we investigate the influence of the chain lengths of glycerol, erythritol, and xylitol on the electrooxidation and product distribution. We contrast the outcomes of using Pt and Ag electrodes. On Pt, we observe the oxidation to the corresponding aldehyde. Subsequently, homogeneous C-C bond cleavage of erythrose and xylose in the alkaline media dominates the product outcome, while glyceraldehyde mainly yields C3 acids upon further oxidation. For Ag, we observe the formation of the same three acids, glyceric-, glycolic- and formic acid. Our findings indicate that direct C-C cleavage occurs alongside oxidation. Depending on the polyol length, the ratios of the three acids vary, providing information about the preferred splitting behaviour. The study offers insights into the electrooxidation of larger polyols with bearing on their suitability for selective chemicals production.