Electrochemical hydroxide systems and methods using metal oxidation

Abstract

There are provided methods and systems for an electrochemical cell including an anode and a cathode where the anode is contacted with a metal ion that converts the metal ion from a lower oxidation state to a higher oxidation state. The metal ion in the higher oxidation state is reacted with hydrogen gas, an unsaturated hydrocarbon, and/or a saturated hydrocarbon to form products.

1 - 50 . (canceled) 
     
     
         51 . A method, comprising:
 contacting an anode with an anode electrolyte in an electrochemical cell wherein the anode electrolyte comprises sodium bromide and metal bromide;   contacting a cathode with a cathode electrolyte in the electrochemical cell;   applying a voltage to the anode and the cathode and oxidizing the metal bromide from a lower oxidation state to a higher oxidation state at the anode; and   brominating an unsaturated hydrocarbon or a saturated hydrocarbon with the anode electrolyte comprising the metal bromide in the higher oxidation state in an aqueous medium to result in a bromohydrocarbon and the metal bromide in the lower oxidation state.   
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 51 , further comprising forming an alkali, water, or hydrogen gas at the cathode. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the cathode electrolyte comprises water and the cathode is an oxygen depolarizing cathode that reduces oxygen and water to hydroxide ions; or the cathode electrolyte comprises water and the cathode is a hydrogen gas producing cathode that reduces water to hydrogen gas and hydroxide ions. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein metal ion in the metal bromide is selected from the group consisting of iron, chromium, copper, tin, silver, cobalt, uranium, lead, mercury, vanadium, bismuth, titanium, ruthenium, osmium, europium, zinc, cadmium, gold, nickel, palladium, platinum, rhodium, iridium, manganese, technetium, rhenium, molybdenum, tungsten, niobium, tantalum, zirconium, hafnium, and combination thereof. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein metal ion in the metal bromide is selected from the group consisting of iron, chromium, copper, and tin. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein metal ion in the metal bromide is copper. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the lower oxidation state of metal ion in the metal bromide is 1+, 2+, 3+, 4+, or 5+ and the higher oxidation state of metal ion in the metal bromide is 2+, 3+, 4+, 5+, or 6+. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein metal ion in the metal bromide is copper that is converted from Cu +  to Cu 2+ , metal ion in the metal bromide is iron that is converted from Fe 2+  to Fe 3+ , metal ion in the metal bromide is tin that is converted from Sn 2+  to Sn 4+ , metal ion in the metal bromide is chromium that is converted from Cr 2+  to Cr 3+ , metal ion in the metal bromide is platinum that is converted from Pt 2+  to Pt 4+ , or combination thereof. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein no gas is used or formed at the anode. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the metal bromide in the lower oxidation state is re-circulated back to the anode electrolyte. 
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the anode electrolyte comprising the metal bromide in the higher oxidation state further comprises the metal bromide in the lower oxidation state. 
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the unsaturated hydrocarbon is a C2-C10 alkene or the saturated hydrocarbon is C2-C10 alkane. 
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the unsaturated hydrocarbon is ethylene, propylene, or butylene. 
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the saturated hydrocarbon is methane, ethane, or propane. 
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein total amount of metal ion of the metal bromide in the anode electrolyte is between 6-12M. 
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the anode electrolyte comprises metal ion of the metal bromide in the higher oxidation state in range of 4-7M, metal ion of the metal bromide in the lower oxidation state in range of 0.1-2M and sodium bromide in range of 1-3M. 
     
     
         67 . A system, comprising:
 an anode chamber comprising an anode in contact with an anode electrolyte in an electrochemical cell, wherein the anode electrolyte comprises metal bromide and sodium bromide, wherein the anode is configured to oxidize the metal bromide from a lower oxidation state to a higher oxidation state;   a cathode chamber comprising a cathode in contact with a cathode electrolyte in the electrochemical cell;   a power source configured to apply a voltage at the anode and the cathode; and   a reactor operably connected to the anode chamber configured to react an unsaturated or a saturated hydrocarbon with the anode electrolyte comprising the metal bromide in the higher oxidation state.   
     
     
         68 . The system of  claim 67 , wherein the cathode electrolyte comprises water and the oxygen depolarizing cathode is configured to reduce oxygen and water to hydroxide ions; or the cathode electrolyte comprises water and the cathode is a hydrogen gas producing cathode configured to reduce water to hydrogen gas and hydroxide ions.