Electrochemical cells and electrochemical methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018148846-A1
Application number	US-201615570848-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 29, 2016
Priority date	May 5, 2015
Publication date	May 31, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electrochemical cell and method for reducing carbon dioxide and/or dehydrogenating a hydrocarbon to an olefin are provided. The electrochemical cell includes a cathode having a first conducting component that is active toward adsorption and reduction of an oxidizing agent such as CO 2 ; and an anode having a second conducting component that is active toward adsorption and oxidation of a reducing agent such as a hydrocarbon. Additionally, a hydrophobic modifier is present on at least a portion of a surface of the second conducting component or both the first and second conducting components. The method includes exposing the cathode to a CO 2 -containing fluid; exposing the anode to a hydrocarbon-containing fluid; and applying a voltage between the cathode exposed to the CO 2 -containing fluid and the anode exposed to the hydrocarbon-containing fluid, wherein the voltage is sufficient to simultaneously oxidize the hydrocarbon via a dehydrogenation reaction and reduce the CO 2 .

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for electrolytically reducing carbon dioxide in an electrochemical cell comprising a cathode, an anode, and a separator, the method comprising:
exposing the cathode comprising a first conducting component to a carbon dioxide (CO 2 )-containing fluid at a first pressure and first temperature, wherein the first conducting component is active toward adsorption and oxidation of CO 2 and is selected from the group consisting of platinum (Pt), iridium (Ir), ruthenium (Ru), palladium (Pd), rhodium (Rh), osmium (Os), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), and their combinations; exposing the anode comprising a second conducting component to a reducing agent-containing fluid at a second pressure and a second temperature, wherein the second conducting component is active toward adsorption and reduction of a reducing agent; and applying a voltage between the cathode exposed to the CO 2 -containing fluid and the anode exposed to the reducing agent-containing fluid so as to facilitate adsorption of the CO 2 onto the cathode and adsorption of the reducing agent onto the anode; wherein the voltage is sufficient to simultaneously oxidize the reducing agent and reduce the CO 2 .

2 . A method for electrolytically dehydrogenating a hydrocarbon to an olefin in an electrochemical cell comprising a cathode, an anode, and a separator, the method comprising:
exposing the cathode comprising a first conducting component to an oxidizing agent-containing fluid at a first pressure and a first temperature, wherein the first conducting component is active toward adsorption and oxidation of an oxidizing agent; exposing the anode comprising a second conducting component to a hydrocarbon-containing fluid at a second pressure and a second temperature, wherein the second conducting component is active toward adsorption and reduction of hydrocarbons via a dehydrogenation reaction, and wherein a hydrophobic modifier is present on at least a portion of a surface of the second conducting component; and applying a voltage between the cathode exposed to the oxidizing agent-containing fluid and the anode exposed to the hydrocarbon-containing fluid so as to facilitate adsorption of the oxidizing agent onto the cathode and adsorption of the hydrocarbon onto the anode; wherein the voltage is sufficient to simultaneously oxidize the hydrocarbon via a dehydrogenation reaction and reduce the oxidizing agent.

3 . A method for electrolytically reducing carbon dioxide and dehydrogenating a hydrocarbon to an olefin in an electrochemical cell comprising an anode, a cathode, and a separator, the method comprising:
exposing the cathode comprising a first conducting component to a carbon dioxide (CO 2 )-containing fluid at a first pressure and first temperature, wherein the first conducting component is active toward adsorption and oxidation of CO 2 ; exposing the anode comprising a second conducting component to a hydrocarbon-containing fluid at a second pressure and a second temperature, wherein the second conducting component is active toward adsorption and reduction of hydrocarbons via a dehydrogenation reaction, and wherein a hydrophobic modifier is present on at least a portion of a surface of the second conducting component; and applying a voltage between the cathode exposed to the CO 2 -containing fluid and the anode exposed to the hydrocarbon-containing fluid so as to facilitate adsorption of CO 2 onto the cathode and adsorption of the hydrocarbon onto the anode, wherein the voltage is sufficient to simultaneously oxidize the hydrocarbon via a dehydrogenation reaction and reduce the CO 2 .

4 . An electrochemical cell for reducing carbon dioxide, comprising:
a cathode compartment including a cathode comprising a first conducting component that is active toward adsorption and reduction of CO 2 ; an anode compartment including an anode comprising a second conducting component that is active toward adsorption and oxidation of hydrocarbons; a separator comprising an ion exchange membrane that physically separates the anode and cathode compartments and permits the passage of ions therebetween; and wherein a hydrophobic modifier is present on at least a portion of a surface of the second conducting component, or both the first and second conducting components.

5 . The electrochemical cell of claim 4 , wherein the second conducting component comprises platinum.

6 . The electrochemical cell of claim 4 , wherein the hydrophobic modifier comprises graphene, graphene oxide, or reduced graphene oxide.

Assignees

• Univ Ohio

Inventors

• Botte Gerardine G

Classifications

• C25B1/00 Primary

  Electrolytic production of inorganic compounds or non-metals · CPC title

• C25B9/06

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• C25B3/02

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• C25B3/04

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• C25B3/23

  Oxidation (halogenation C25B3/27) · CPC title