This invention is directed to a method of oxygenating hydrocarbons with molecular oxygen, O.sub.2, as oxidant under electrochemical reducing conditions, using polyoxometalate compounds containing copper such as Q.sub.10[Cu.sub.4(H.sub.2O).sub.2(B-α-PW.sub.9O.sub.34).sub.2] or Q.sub.13{[Cu(H.sub.2O)].sub.3[(A-α-PW.sub.9O.sub.34).sub.2(NO.sub.3).sup.−]} or solvates thereof as catalysts, wherein Q are each independently selected from alkali metal cations, alkaline earth metal cations, transition metal cations, NH.sub.4.sup.+, H.sup.+ or any combination thereof.

This invention is directed to a method of oxygenating hydrocarbons with molecular oxygen, O.sub.2, as oxidant under electrochemical reducing conditions, using polyoxometalate compounds containing copper such as Q.sub.10[Cu.sub.4(H.sub.2O).sub.2(B-α-PW.sub.9O.sub.34).sub.2] or Q.sub.13{[Cu(H.sub.2O)].sub.3[(A-α-PW.sub.9O.sub.34).sub.2(NO.sub.3).sup.−]} or solvates thereof as catalysts, wherein Q are each independently selected from alkali metal cations, alkaline earth metal cations, transition metal cations, NH.sub.4.sup.+, H.sup.+ or any combination thereof.

The present invention relates to an electrochemical method for converting an amino acid and/or its salts to an amine and/or a nitrile. The total yield and selectivity of amine and nitrile obtained by the method according to the present invention is higher than prior art when the reaction medium has a high concentration of amino acid and/or its salts at the beginning of the reaction.

A carbon dioxide gas phase reduction device includes an oxidation tank including an oxidation electrode, a reduction tank to which carbon dioxide is supplied, an intermediate tank that is disposed between the oxidation tank and the reduction tank and capable of pouring and discharging an electrolytic solution, an ion exchange membrane disposed between the oxidation tank and the intermediate tank, a gas reduction sheet in which an ion exchange membrane and a reduction electrode are laminated and which is disposed between the reduction tank and the intermediate tank with the ion exchange membrane facing the intermediate tank and the reduction electrode facing the reduction tank, and a conducting wire connecting the oxidation electrode to the reduction electrode.

A carbon dioxide gas phase reduction device includes an oxidation tank including an oxidation electrode, a reduction tank to which carbon dioxide is supplied, an intermediate tank that is disposed between the oxidation tank and the reduction tank and capable of pouring and discharging an electrolytic solution, an ion exchange membrane disposed between the oxidation tank and the intermediate tank, a gas reduction sheet in which an ion exchange membrane and a reduction electrode are laminated and which is disposed between the reduction tank and the intermediate tank with the ion exchange membrane facing the intermediate tank and the reduction electrode facing the reduction tank, and a conducting wire connecting the oxidation electrode to the reduction electrode.

A process and related electrode composition are disclosed for the electrocatalytic hydrogenation and/or hydrodeoxygenation of biomass-derived bio-oil components by the production of hydrogen atoms on a catalyst surface followed by the reaction of the hydrogen atoms with the organic compounds in bio-oil. The catalyst is a metal supported on a monolithic high surface area material such as activated carbon cloth. Electrocatalytic hydrogenation and/or hydrodeoxygenation stabilizes the bio-oil under mild conditions to reduce coke formation and catalyst deactivation. The process converts oxygen-containing functionalities and unsaturated bonds into chemically reduced forms with an increased hydrogen content. The process is operated at mild conditions, which enables it to be a good means for stabilizing bio-oil to a form that can be stored and transported using metal containers and pipes.

The present invention relates to an electrochemical method for preparing vanillin or its derivatives in the presence of a mediator. The mediator can be recycled and reused and therefore no salt is formed by the end of the reaction, which makes the method more environmental-friendly. Furthermore, lower potentials are needed when the mediator is used by comparing to prior arts.

Efficient methods of producing L-threonic acid from L-xylonic acid are disclosed.

Efficient methods of producing L-threonic acid from L-xylonic acid are disclosed.

To improve the efficiency of a reduction reaction. A power source applies a voltage to an oxidation electrode immersed in an aqueous solution in an oxidation tank and a reduction electrode immersed in an aqueous solution in a reduction tank, the voltage having a voltage value that changes with a predetermined cycle to be a voltage value at which ions can be desorbed from a surface of the oxidation electrode and a surface of the reduction electrode during one cycle of the voltage change. The frequency of the voltage is set within a range of 10 Hz to 1 kHz.