A process for preparing ammonia via an electrolysis cell may involve feeding nitrogen as a first reactant into the electrolysis cell and using water or water vapor as a second reactant for electrolysis. In at least one step downstream of the electrolysis, there is a separation of other components from the ammonia, such as an at-least-partial separation of nitrogen, water, argon and/or hydrogen. Recovery of the reactants is connected upstream of the ammonia electrolysis. The nitrogen used as the first reactant may be procured beforehand in an air fractionation plant. The process may further involve removing from the electrolysis cell oxygen formed as a by-product in the electrolysis at an anode.

The invention provides a method of continuous electrochemical dinitrogen reduction to produce ammonia, the method comprising: supplying dinitrogen to an electrochemical cell comprising an electrolyte in contact with at least a cathode; introducing protons to the electrolyte by anodic oxidation of a hydrogen-containing species; and cathodically reducing the dinitrogen in the presence of a metal selected from lithium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, zinc, aluminium and vanadium to produce ammonia, wherein the electrolyte comprises a cationic proton carrier capable of reversible deprotonation to form a neutral proton acceptor, wherein the neutral proton acceptor is an ylide.

The invention provides a method of continuous electrochemical dinitrogen reduction to produce ammonia, the method comprising: supplying dinitrogen to an electrochemical cell comprising an electrolyte in contact with at least a cathode; introducing protons to the electrolyte by anodic oxidation of a hydrogen-containing species; and cathodically reducing the dinitrogen in the presence of a metal selected from lithium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, zinc, aluminium and vanadium to produce ammonia, wherein the electrolyte comprises a cationic proton carrier capable of reversible deprotonation to form a neutral proton acceptor, wherein the neutral proton acceptor is an ylide.

A method of a hydrocarbon product and ammonia comprises introducing C.sub.2H.sub.6 to a positive electrode of an electrochemical cell comprising the positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a proton-conducting membrane between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The proton-conducting membrane comprising an electrolyte material having an ionic conductivity greater than or equal to about 10.sup.−2 S/cm at one or more temperatures within a range of from about 150° C. to about 600° C. N.sub.2 is introduced to the negative electrode of the electrochemical cell. A potential difference is applied between the positive electrode and the negative electrode of the electrochemical cell. A system for co-producing higher hydrocarbons and NH3, and an electrochemical cell are also described.

A method of a hydrocarbon product and ammonia comprises introducing C.sub.2H.sub.6 to a positive electrode of an electrochemical cell comprising the positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a proton-conducting membrane between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The proton-conducting membrane comprising an electrolyte material having an ionic conductivity greater than or equal to about 10.sup.−2 S/cm at one or more temperatures within a range of from about 150° C. to about 600° C. N.sub.2 is introduced to the negative electrode of the electrochemical cell. A potential difference is applied between the positive electrode and the negative electrode of the electrochemical cell. A system for co-producing higher hydrocarbons and NH3, and an electrochemical cell are also described.

An electrolytic device, includes: an electrolysis cell including: a cathode; an anode; a cathode flow path facing the cathode; and an anode flow path facing the anode; a tank including: a first room; a second room; and an opening connecting the first and second rooms, the first and second rooms store a liquid containing at least one ion, the tank forms a level difference so that the first liquid level of the liquid in the first room is higher to the bottom of the second room than the second liquid level of the liquid in the second room, and thus cause an ion in the liquid to move from the first to the second room through the opening; a first flow path connecting an outlet of the cathode flow path and the first room; and a second flow path connecting the second room and an outlet of the anode flow path.

An electrolytic device, includes: an electrolysis cell including: a cathode; an anode; a cathode flow path facing the cathode; and an anode flow path facing the anode; a tank including: a first room; a second room; and an opening connecting the first and second rooms, the first and second rooms store a liquid containing at least one ion, the tank forms a level difference so that the first liquid level of the liquid in the first room is higher to the bottom of the second room than the second liquid level of the liquid in the second room, and thus cause an ion in the liquid to move from the first to the second room through the opening; a first flow path connecting an outlet of the cathode flow path and the first room; and a second flow path connecting the second room and an outlet of the anode flow path.

A method for preparing a catalytic material of an electrode for electrochemical reduction reactions, which comprises: a) a step of electrolysis of at least one aqueous and/or organic solution comprising at least one precursor of the active phase comprising at least one group VIB metal in order to obtain a solution comprising at least one precursor comprising at least one group VIB metal which has been partially reduced; b) a step of impregnation of said support with said solution obtained in step a) in order to obtain a catalytic material precursor; c) a step of drying said precursor obtained in step b) at a temperature below 250° C., without subsequent calcination; d) a step of sulfurization of the catalytic material precursor obtained in step c) at a temperature of between 100° C. and 600° C.

A method for preparing a catalytic material of an electrode for electrochemical reduction reactions, which comprises: a) a step of electrolysis of at least one aqueous and/or organic solution comprising at least one precursor of the active phase comprising at least one group VIB metal in order to obtain a solution comprising at least one precursor comprising at least one group VIB metal which has been partially reduced; b) a step of impregnation of said support with said solution obtained in step a) in order to obtain a catalytic material precursor; c) a step of drying said precursor obtained in step b) at a temperature below 250° C., without subsequent calcination; d) a step of sulfurization of the catalytic material precursor obtained in step c) at a temperature of between 100° C. and 600° C.

A method for producing ammonia from nitrogen molecules, by supplying electrons from a power source, protons from a proton source, and nitrogen molecules from a device for supplying nitrogen gas, in the presence of a molecular catalyst and a solid catalyst at the cathode of a production apparatus that performs electrolysis. Regarding the molecular catalyst and the solid catalyst, bis(cyclopentadienyl)titanium dichloride, for example, is used as the molecular catalyst, and a metal catalyst, an oxide catalyst, or a combination thereof is used as the solid catalyst.