Methanol generation device, method for generating methanol, and electrode for generating methanol

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018010255-A1
Application number	US-201715699151-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 8, 2017
Priority date	Jun 28, 2013
Publication date	Jan 11, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention provides a methanol generation device for generating methanol by reducing carbon dioxide, comprising: a container for storing an electrolyte solution containing carbon dioxide; a cathode electrode disposed in the container so as to be in contact with the electrolyte solution; an anode electrode disposed in the container so as to be in contact with the electrolyte solution; and an external power supply for applying a voltage so that a potential of the cathode electrode is negative with respect to a potential of the anode electrode. The cathode electrode has a region of Cu 1-x-y Ni x Au y (0<x, 0<y, and x+y<1). The anode electrode has a region of a metal or a metal compound.

First claim

1 . A method for generating methanol using a methanol generation device, the method comprising:
(a) preparing the methanol generation device comprising:
a container;
a cathode electrode; and
an anode electrode,
wherein the cathode electrode includes a region of Cu 1-x-y Ni x Au y (0<x, 0<y, and x+y<1); the anode electrode includes a region of a metal or a metal compound; an electrolyte solution is stored in the container; the cathode electrode is in contact with the electrolyte solution; the anode electrode is in contact with the electrolyte solution; and the electrolyte solution contains carbon dioxide; and (b) reducing the carbon dioxide contained in the electrolyte solution by applying a voltage so that a potential of the cathode electrode is negative with respect to a potential of the anode electrode to generate methanol on the cathode electrode.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the methanol generation device is placed under room temperature and atmospheric pressure in step (b).

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the Cu 1-x-y Ni x Au y is a solid solution or intermetallic compound of Cu, Ni, and Au.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the value of x is more than 0 and not more than 0.20; and the value of y is not less than 0.005 and not more than 0.05.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the anode electrode is formed of carbon, platinum, gold, silver, copper, titanium, iridium oxide, or an alloy thereof.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the electrolyte solution is a potassium chloride aqueous solution or a sodium chloride aqueous solution.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein
an absolute value of the voltage is not less than 2.5 volts.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the methanol generation device further comprises:
a reference electrode disposed in the container so as to be in contact with the electrolyte solution; and
an external supply,
the reference electrode has a region of Ag/AgCl; and the voltage to be applied by the external power supply to the cathode electrode with respect to a potential of the reference electrode is not more than −1.7 volts.

9 . A method for generating methanol using a methanol generation device, the method comprising:
(a) preparing the methanol generation device comprising:
a cathode container;
an anode container;
a cathode electrode;
an anode electrode; and
a solid electrolyte membrane,
wherein the cathode container and the anode container are separated by the solid electrolyte membrane; the cathode electrode includes a region of Cu 1-x-y Ni x Au y (0<x, 0<y, and x+y<1); the anode electrode includes a region of a metal or a metal compound; a first electrolyte solution containing carbon dioxide is stored in the cathode container; a second electrolyte solution is stored in the anode container; the cathode electrode is in contact with the first electrolyte solution; and the anode electrode is in contact with the second electrolyte solution; and (b) reducing the carbon dioxide contained in the first electrolyte solution by applying a voltage so that a potential of the cathode electrode is negative with respect to a potential of the anode electrode to generate methanol on the cathode electrode.

10 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein
the first electrolyte solution is a potassium chloride aqueous solution or a sodium chloride aqueous solution; and the second electrolyte solution is a potassium hydrogen carbonate aqueous solution, a sodium hydrogen carbonate aqueous solution, or a potassium sulfate aqueous solution.

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hashiba Hiroshi
• Deguchi Masahiro
• Yotsuhashi Satoshi
• Yamada Yuka

Classifications

• C25B15/02

  Process control or regulation · CPC title

• C25B3/04 Primary

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• C25B11/0494

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• C25B9/08

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• C25B11/0473

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic