Methods and systems for carrying out a pH-influenced chemical and/or biological reaction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9567678-B2
Application number	US-201414506384-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 3, 2014
Priority date	Aug 29, 2011
Publication date	Feb 14, 2017
Grant date	Feb 14, 2017

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to methods and systems for carrying out a pH-influenced chemical and/or biological reaction. In some embodiments, the pH-influenced reaction involves the conversion of CO 2 to a dissolved species.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for carrying out a pH-influenced chemical and/or biological reaction, comprising:
a pH-adjustment zone comprising a solution and a porous electrode, wherein the solution contains a complexation agent capable of associating and/or disassociating an acid and/or base to and/or from the solution upon exposure to an electrical potential, and wherein at least a portion of the complexation agent intercalates into and/or de-intercalates from the electrode during operation of the system; and
a reaction zone in fluid connection with the pH-adjustment zone, wherein the reaction zone comprises components and reagents for carrying out a pH-influenced chemical and/or biological reaction.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pH-influenced reaction involving the conversion of CO 2 to a dissolved species.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the complexation agent comprises copper and the solution further comprises a primary amine.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the solution further comprises at least one additive.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the additive is a salt comprising the structure [M] p+ [X] − or n[M] m+ m[X] n− , wherein [M]p + and [M] m+ are cations, [X] p− and [X] n− are anions, each p is 1, 2, 3, or 4, and m and n are different and are 1, 2, 3,or 4.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the additive comprises sodium bromide or ammonium bromide.

7. A method, comprising:
providing a system comprising a pH-adjustment zone and a reaction zone in fluid connection with the pH-adjustment zone, wherein the pH-adjustment comprises a complexation agent and wherein the reaction zone comprises components and reagents for carrying out a pH-influenced chemical and/or biological reaction, and wherein the system comprises at least one porous electrode;
exposing the complexation agent in the pH-adjustment zone to an electrical potential, wherein the complexation agent associates and/or disassociates an acid and/or base to and/or from the solution upon exposure to the electrical potential and causes the pH of the solution to increase or decrease, thereby forming a pH-selected solution having a selected pH, and wherein at least a portion of the complexation agent intercalates into and/or de-intercalates from the porous electrode during the exposing step; and
flowing the pH-selected solution to the reaction zone, wherein the chemical and/or biological reaction is influenced by the pH of the pH-selected solution, and wherein the chemical and/or biological reaction causes the pH of the pH-selected solution to decrease or increase.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the pH-influenced reaction involving the conversion of CO 2 to a dissolved species.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the complexation agent comprises copper and the solution further comprises a primary amine.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the solution further comprises at least one additive.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the additive is a salt comprising the structure [M] p+ [X] − or n[M] m+ m[X] n− , wherein [M]p + and [M] m+ are cations, [X] p− and [X] n− are anions, each p is 1, 2, 3, or 4, and m and n are different and are 1, 2, 3, or 4.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the additive comprises sodium bromide or ammonium bromide.

Assignees

• Massachusetts Inst Technology

Inventors

• Eltayeb Aly Eldeen O
• Stern Michael C
• Hatton Trevor Alan

Classifications

• B01J19/0086

  Processes carried out with a view to control or to change the pH-value; Applications of buffer salts; Neutralisation reactions · CPC title

• B01D2257/504

  Carbon dioxide · CPC title

• B01D2258/0283

  Flue gases · CPC title

• B01D2252/20421

  Primary amines · CPC title

• B01D53/62

  Carbon oxides · CPC title