A preliminary investigation of the simultaneous anodic and cathodic production of glyoxylic acid

A study of the preparative synthesis of glyoxylic acid by the simultaneous anodic oxidation of glyoxal and cathodic reduction of oxalic acid is described. The reactions both use a common electrode material; graphite and common electrolyte acid chloride and are performed in divided and undivided batch cells. Yields and current efficiencies of the synthesis are quite good and in principle offer economic advantages for the method compared with the single syntheses routes. The economics of the method are particularly affected by the cost of glyoxal relative to oxalic acid.