Electrochemical devices or systems comprising redox-functionalized electrodes and uses thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020399146-A1
Application number	US-202016921683-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 6, 2020
Priority date	Oct 27, 2015
Publication date	Dec 24, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

Various aspects described herein relate to electrochemical devices, e.g., for separation of one or more target organic or inorganic molecules (e.g., charged or neutral molecules) from solution, and methods of using the same. In particular embodiments, the electrochemical devices and methods described herein involve at least one redox-functionalized electrode, wherein the electrode comprises an immobilized redox-species that is selective toward a target molecule (e.g., charged molecule such as ion or netural molecule). The selectivity is based on a Faradaic/redox-activated chemical interaction (e.g., directional hydrogen binding) between the oxidized state of the redox species and a moiety of the target molecule (e.g., charged molecule such as ion or netural molecule).

First claim

1 . An electrochemical system comprising:
a. a first electrode comprising a first conductive solid substrate and a first redox species immobilized to the first conductive solid substrate, wherein the first redox species is selective toward a target functional group of a target molecule; and b. a second electrode.

2 . The electrochemical system of claim 1 , wherein the first redox species in an oxidized state selectively binds to an electron-donating functional group of a target molecule.

3 . The electrochemical system of claim 2 , wherein the first redox species is an organometallic compound, an organic species, a crystalline solid, a cyclodextrin-based system, a metal-polypyrridyl system, metal dicarbamate, cryptand, redox-active arene, dendrimer comprising a redox-active center, or a redox-active organic macrocycle.

4 . The electrochemical system of claim 3 , wherein the first redox species is an organometallic compound, e.g., a ferrocene-based redox species.

5 . The electrochemical system of claim 4 , wherein the target functional group comprises a carboxylate moiety, a sulfonate moiety, or a phosphonate moiety.

6 . The electrochemical system of claim 1 , wherein the second electrode comprises a second solid substrate and a second redox species immobilized to the solid second substrate, wherein the second redox species undergoes a self-exchange reaction within the cathodic electrode during operation of the electrochemical system.

7 . The electrochemical system of claim 6 , wherein the second redox species is chemically different from the first redox species.

8 . The electrochemical system of claim 6 , wherein the second redox species is a charged species.

9 . The electrochemical system of claim 6 , wherein the second redox species is a molecule comprising an electron-accepting functional moiety.

10 . The electrochemical system of claim 6 , wherein the second redox species is a charged species of the first redox species, optionally wherein the first redox species is selected from the group consisting of quinone-containing polymers, cobaltocenium-containing polymers, polypyrrole, cyclodextrin-based systems, metal-polypyridyl systems, metal-dicarbamates, cryptands, dendrimers comprising redox-active centers, and redox-active organic macrocycles.

11 . The electrochemical system of claim 1 , further comprising an electrolyte disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode.

12 . The electrochemical system of claim 11 , wherein the electrolyte comprises an aqueous medium or an organic medium.

13 - 22 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Massachusetts Inst Technology

Inventors

• Su Xiao
• Achilleos Demetra S
• Hatton Trevor Alan

Classifications

• C02F2201/46105

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• C02F1/4672

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