Electroreduction of Oxalic Acid to Glycolic Acid

Electroreduction of oxalic acid to glycolic acid was confirmed by cyclic voltammetry.Glycolic acid was prepared from oxalic acid at the Pb cathode in an eletrolytic cell with cationexchange mambrane.By orthogonal experiments the optimal operating conditions were obtained:current density 1400 A/m2,electric quantity 17 F/mol,temperature 40 ℃ and flowrate of electrolyte 015 m/s?The yield was over 88%.