System and Method for Oxidizing Organic Compounds While Reducing Carbon Dioxide

Abstract

Methods and systems for electrochemically generating an oxidation product and a reduction product may include one or more operations including, but not limited to: receiving a feed of at least one organic compound into an anolyte region of an electrochemical cell including an anode; at least partially oxidizing the at least one organic compound at the anode to generate at least carbon dioxide; receiving a feed including carbon dioxide into a catholyte region of the electrochemical cell including a cathode; and at least partially reducing carbon dioxide to generate a reduction product at the cathode.

1 - 6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . A system for at least partially simultaneously electrochemically generating an oxidation product and a reduction product, the system comprising:
 an electrochemical cell including an anolyte region and a catholyte region separated by at least one ion exchange membrane;   an organic compound feed input operably coupled to the anolyte region; and a carbon dioxide feed input operably coupled to the catholyte region.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a gas/fluid coupling between the anolyte region and the catholyte region and configured for the transfer of carbon dioxide generated in an oxidation reaction in the anolyte region to the catholyte region.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein an organic compound feed to the anolyte region includes an aqueous solution of an organic compound. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein an organic compound feed to the anolyte region includes an compound feed selected from at least one of: an alkane, an alkene; an aromatic; a carboxylic acid; an aldehyde; a ketone; an alcohol; a cyanide; a phenol, a sugar, a glycol, a surfactant, and a halogenated organic compound. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 7 , where a reduction product generated in the catholyte region is selected from at least one of: hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon, formic acid, formaldehyde, methanol, methane, oxalate, oxalic acid, glyoxylic acid, glyoxylate, glycolic acid, glycolate, glyoxal, glycolaldehyde, ethylene glycol, acetic acid, acetate, acetaldehyde, ethanol, ethane, ethylene, lactic acid, lactate, propanoic acid, propionate, acetone, isopropanol, 1-propanol, 1,2-propylene glycol, propane, propylene, butane, butene, 1-butanol, 2-butanone, 2-butanol, a carboxylic acid, a carboxylate, an aldehyde, and a ketone. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein an anode of the anolyte region includes an electrocatalyst including at least one of lead dioxide, tin oxides, conductive titanium sub-oxides and boron doped diamond. 
     
     
         13 . A method for at least partially simultaneously electrochemically generating carbon dioxide, an oxidation product and a reduction product, the method comprising:
 receiving a feed of at least one organic compound into an anolyte region of an electrochemical cell;   at least partially oxidizing the at least one organic compound to generate at least carbon dioxide and at least one oxidation product;   receiving at least one feed including carbon dioxide into a catholyte region of the electrochemical cell including a cathode   at least partially reducing carbon dioxide received in the catholyte region to generate at least one reduction product.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the feed including carbon dioxide includes at least one of carbon dioxide generated at the anode and a supplemental feed including carbon dioxide. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one oxidation product is selected from at least one of: a carboxylic acid; an organic acid; a cyanate, a carbonate, a compound including nitrogen, an oxide, a ketone, an alcohol, an aldehyde, and a de-halogenated compound. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , where the reduction product is selected from at least one of: hydrogen, carbon monoxide, formic acid, formaldehyde, methanol, methane, oxalate, oxalic acid, glyoxylic acid, glyoxylate, glycolic acid, glycolate, glyoxal, glycolaldehyde, ethylene glycol, acetic acid, acetate, acetaldehyde, ethanol, ethane, ethylene, lactic acid, lactate, propanoic acid, propionate, acetone, isopropanol, 1-propanol, 1,2-propylene glycol, propane, propylene, 1-butanol, 2-butanone, butane, butene, 2-butanol a carboxylic acid, a carboxylate, an aldehyde, and a ketone. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one reduction product includes at least one C 1  to C 4  reduction product. 
     
     
         18 . A method for simultaneously electrochemically generating an oxidation product and a reduction product, the method comprising:
 receiving a feed of at least one organic compound into an anolyte region of an electrochemical cell;   at least partially oxidizing the at least one organic compound to generate at least one oxidation product;   receiving a feed including carbon dioxide into a catholyte region of the electrochemical cell; and   at least partially reducing the carbon dioxide to generate at least one reduction product.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one organic compound is selected from at least one of: an alkane, an alkene; an aromatic; a carboxylic acid; an aldehyde; a ketone; an alcohol; a cyanide; a phenol, a sugar, a glycol, a surfactant, and a halogenated organic compound. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one oxidation product is selected from at least one of: a carboxylic acid; an organic acid; a cyanate, a carbonate, a nitrogen compound, an oxide, an alcohol, a ketone, an aldehyde, and a de-halogenated compound. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , where the at least one reduction product is selected from at least one of: hydrogen, carbon monoxide, formic acid, formaldehyde, methanol, methane, oxalate, oxalic acid, glyoxylic acid, glyoxylate, glycolic acid, glycolate, glyoxal, glycolaldehyde, ethylene glycol, acetic acid, acetate, acetaldehyde, ethanol, ethane, ethylene, lactic acid, lactate, propanoic acid, propionate, acetone, isopropanol, 1-propanol, 1,2-propylene glycol, propane, propylene, 1-butanol, 2-butanone, butane, butene, 2-butanol a carboxylic acid, a carboxylate, an aldehyde, and a ketone. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the anolyte region of the electrochemical cell includes an at least partially solution phase. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the organic compound includes at least benzene in the solution phase. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the at least one oxidation product is phenol. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the anolyte region of the electrochemical cell includes an at least partially gaseous phase. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the gaseous phase includes water vapor. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 ,
 wherein the gaseous phase further includes at least one of an alkane and an alkene; and   wherein the at least one oxidation product is at least one of an alcohol and an oxide.