Electrolysis cell, electrolysis device, and method of manufacturing electrolysis cell

Abstract

An electrolysis cell includes: a cathode having a reduction catalyst that promotes a reduction reaction of reducing a reducible material to produce a reduction product, and the reducible material being carbon dioxide or nitrogen; an anode having an oxidation catalyst that promotes an oxidation reaction of oxidizing water to produce oxygen; a diaphragm provided between the cathode and the anode; a cathode flow path facing on the cathode and through which a gas of the reduction material flows; an anode flow path facing on the anode and through which an electrolytic solution containing the water flows; and a chemical species between the anode flow path and the diaphragm, the chemical species being configured to decompose, capture, or inactivate an active oxygen species.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electrolysis cell comprising:
 a cathode having a reduction catalyst that promotes a reduction reaction of reducing a reducible material to produce a reduction product, and the reducible material being carbon dioxide or nitrogen;   an anode having an oxidation catalyst that promotes an oxidation reaction of oxidizing water to produce oxygen;   a diaphragm provided between the cathode and the anode;   a cathode flow path facing on the cathode and through which a gas of the reduction material flows;   an anode flow path facing on the anode and through which an electrolytic solution containing the water flows; and   a chemical species between the anode flow path and the diaphragm, the chemical species being configured to decompose, capture, or inactivate an active oxygen species.   
     
     
         2 . The electrolysis cell according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the chemical species is a metal, metal oxide, or metal hydroxide containing at least one metallic element selected from the group consisting of cerium, manganese, cobalt, platinum, ruthenium, tungsten, and tin.   
     
     
         3 . The electrolysis cell according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the chemical species is supported on the anode or the diaphragm so as to face the cathode flow path through the diaphragm from an inlet to an outlet of the cathode flow path, and   the amount of the chemical species per unit area of the anode or the diaphragm, the chemical species facing on an outlet region of the cathode path, is equal to or more than 1.05 times the amount of the chemical species per unit area of the anode or the diaphragm, the chemical species facing on an inlet region of the cathode path.   
     
     
         4 . The electrolysis cell according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the diaphragm is a porous membrane that does not have ion passage selectivity.   
     
     
         5 . The electrolysis cell according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the diaphragm contains a molecular compound cross-linked with at least one functional group selected from the group consisting of an ether group and a sulfonyl group.   
     
     
         6 . The electrolysis cell according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the active oxygen species is hydrogen peroxide, superoxide anion radicals, hydroxyl radicals, or singlet oxygen.   
     
     
         7 . An electrolysis device, comprising:
 the electrolysis cell according to any one of  claim 1 ; and   a power supply that supplies current between the anode and the cathode, wherein   the reducible material is carbon dioxide.   
     
     
         8 . An electrolysis device, comprising:
 the electrolysis cell according to any one of  claim 1 ; and   a power supply that supplies current between the anode and the cathode, wherein   the reducible material is nitrogen.   
     
     
         9 . A method of manufacturing an electrolysis cell,
 the electrolysis cell comprising:   a cathode having a reduction catalyst that promotes a reduction reaction of reducing a reducible material to produce a reduction product, the reducible material being carbon dioxide or nitrogen;   an anode having an oxidation catalyst that promotes an oxidation reaction of oxidizing water to produce oxygen;   a diaphragm provided between the cathode and the anode;   a cathode flow path facing on the cathode and through which a gas of the reduction material flows; and   an anode flow path facing on the anode and through which an electrolytic solution containing the water flows,   the method comprising:   immersing a porous material containing the oxidation catalyst in a solution containing a precursor of a chemical species configured to decompose, capture, or inactivate an active oxygen species; and   sintering the porous material and forming the anode.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein
 the chemical species is a metal, metal oxide, or metal hydroxide containing at least one metallic element selected from the group consisting of cerium, manganese, cobalt, platinum, ruthenium, tungsten, and tin.   
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein
 the chemical species is supported on the anode or the diaphragm so as to face the cathode flow path through the diaphragm from an inlet to an outlet of the cathode flow path, and   the amount of the chemical species per unit area of the anode or the diaphragm, the chemical species facing on an outlet region of the cathode path, is equal to or more than 1.05 times the amount of the chemical species per unit area of the anode or the diaphragm, the chemical species facing on an inlet region of the cathode path.   
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein
 the diaphragm is a porous membrane that does not have ion passage selectivity.   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein
 the diaphragm contains a molecular compound cross-linked with at least one functional group selected from the group consisting of an ether group and a sulfonyl group.   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein
 the active oxygen species is hydrogen peroxide, superoxide anion radicals, hydroxyl radicals, or singlet oxygen.