Electrochemical Co-Production of Chemicals Utilizing a Halide Salt

Abstract

The present disclosure includes a system and method for co-producing a first product and a second product. The system may include a first electrochemical cell, at least one second reactor, and an acidification chamber. The method and system for co-producing a first product and a second product may include co-producing a carboxylic acid and at least one of an alkene, alkyne, aldehyde, ketone, or an alcohol while employing a recycled halide salt.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for co-producing M-carboxylate and a halogen, the method comprising the steps of:
 contacting a first region of an electrochemical cell having a cathode with a catholyte comprising carbon dioxide;   contacting a second region of the electrochemical cell having an anode with an anolyte comprising an MX where M is at least one cation and X is selected from the group consisting of F, Cl, Br, I and mixtures thereof;   applying an electrical potential between the anode and the cathode of the electrochemical cell sufficient to produce the M-carboxylate recoverable from the first region of the electrochemical cell and the halogen recoverable from the second region of the electrochemical cell;   reacting the halogen from the second region of the electrochemical cell with one of an alkane, an alkene, or an aromatic to produce a halogenated compound and HX.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 recycling the HX back to an acidification chamber.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 reacting the M-carboxylate with the HX via the acidification chamber to produce a carboxylic acid and MX, the MX being recycled to an input of the second region of the electrochemical cell.   
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , further comprising:
 reacting the halogenated compound via a third reactor to produce a second product and HX, the HX being recycled to the acidification chamber.   
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the halogen includes at least one of F 2 , Cl 2 , Br 2  or I 2 . 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the halogenated compound includes at least one of a brominated compound, benzyl bromide, (1-bromethyl)benzene, perhalocarbon, bromoethane, vinyl chloride, dichloroethane, allyl chloride, chlorophenol, bromobenzene, vinyl bromide, vinyl fluoride, vinylidene fluoride, tetrafluoroethylene, hexafluoropropylene, difluoromethane, or pentafluoroethane. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the second product is at least one of an alkane, an alkene, an alkyne, an alcohol, an aldehyde, or a ketone. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the third reactor includes water. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the second product is an alcohol. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the carboxylic acid is oxalic acid. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 4 , further comprising:
 feeding the carboxylic acid to a thermal hydrogenation chamber, the thermal hydrogenation chamber comprising H 2 ; and   forming a third product in the thermal hydrogenation chamber.   
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the third product includes at least one of glyoxylic acid, glycolic acid, glyoxal, glycolaldeyde, ethylene glycol, ethanol, acetic acid, acetaldehyde, ethane, or ethylene. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the cathode and the anode of the first electrochemical cell and the second electrochemical cell are separated by an ion permeable barrier that operates at a temperature less than 600 degrees C. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the ion permeable barrier includes one of a polymeric or inorganic ceramic-based ion permeable barrier. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the catholyte is a liquid and the anolyte is a gas. 
     
     
         16 . A method for co-producing M-carboxylate and bromine, the method comprising the steps of:
 contacting a first region of an electrochemical cell having a cathode with a catholyte comprising carbon dioxide;   contacting a second region of the electrochemical cell having an anode with an anolyte comprising an MBr where M is at least one cation;   applying an electrical potential between the anode and the cathode of the electrochemical cell sufficient to produce the M-carboxylate recoverable from the first region of the electrochemical cell and the bromine recoverable from the second region of the electrochemical cell;   reacting the bromine from the second region of the electrochemical cell with an alkane to produce a halogenated compound and HBr.   
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , further comprising:
 recycling the HBr back to an acidification chamber.   
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17 , further comprising:
 reacting the M-carboxylate with the HBr via the acidification chamber to produce a carboxylic acid and MBr, the MBr being recycled to an input of the second region of the electrochemical cell.   
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the alkane is ethane. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the halogenated compound is bromoethane. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 20 , wherein M is tetrabutylammonium.