Low temperature electrochemical production of carbon monoxide

Abstract

Herein discussed is a method of producing carbon monoxide comprising: (a) providing an electrochemical reactor having an anode, a cathode, and a membrane between the anode and the cathode; (b) introducing a first stream to the anode, wherein the first stream comprises a fuel; and (c) introducing a second stream to the cathode, wherein the second stream comprises carbon dioxide, and wherein carbon monoxide is generated from carbon dioxide electrochemically; wherein the reactor comprises no interconnect and no current collector; wherein the reactor generates no electricity and receives no electricity; and wherein the reactor is operated at a temperature no higher than 750° C. In an embodiment, the reactor is operated at a temperature no higher than 700° C. or no higher than 650° C.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of producing carbon monoxide comprising:
 (a) providing an electrochemical reactor having an anode, a cathode, and a membrane between the anode and the cathode;   (b) introducing a first stream to the anode, wherein the first stream comprises a fuel; and   (c) introducing a second stream to the cathode, wherein the second stream comprises carbon dioxide, and wherein carbon monoxide is generated from the carbon dioxide electrochemically;   wherein the electrochemical reactor comprises no interconnect and no current collector;   wherein the electrochemical reactor generates no electricity and receives no electricity; and   wherein the electrochemical reactor is operated at a temperature no higher than 750° C.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electrochemical reactor is operated at a temperature no higher than 700° C. or no higher than 650° C. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first stream and the second stream do not come in contact with one another. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fuel comprises ammonia, syngas, hydrogen, methanol, carbon monoxide, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a cathode exhaust is passed through a separator, wherein the generated carbon monoxide is separated from the carbon dioxide. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second stream further comprises carbon monoxide, wherein a concentration of the carbon monoxide is less than a concentration of the carbon dioxide. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the anode and the cathode are both in contact with the membrane and are simultaneously exposed to reducing environments during the entire time of operation. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the reducing environments have an oxygen partial pressure of no greater than 1E-5 atm. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cathode comprises Ni or NiO and a material selected from the group consisting of YSZ, CGO, SDC, SSZ, SCZ, CoCGO, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the anode comprises Ni or NiO and a material selected from the group consisting of YSZ, CGO, SDC, SSZ, SCZ, CoCGO, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the anode or the cathode comprises CGO or CoCGO or NiCGO. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the anode and the cathode have the same elements. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the anode comprises doped or undoped ceria and a material selected from the group consisting of Cu, CuO, Cu 2 O, Ag, Ag 2 O, Au, Au 2 O, Au 2 O 3 , Pt, Pd, Ru, Rh, Ir, LaCaCr, LaSrCrFe, YSZ, CGO, SDC, SSZ, LSGM, LST, SCZ, stainless steel, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the membrane is electronically insulating. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the membrane is mixed conducting. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the membrane comprises CoCGO or LST-stabilized zirconia. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the stabilized zirconia comprises YSZ or SSZ or SCZ (scandia-ceria-stabilized zirconia), and wherein the LST comprises LaSrCaTiO 3 . 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the membrane comprises Nickel, Copper, Cobalt, Lanthanum, Strontium, Titanium, or Niobium-doped zirconia. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the membrane, the anode, and the cathode have the same elements. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the membrane, the anode, and the cathode consist essentially of CoCGO or NiCGO.