An abrupt interface electroreduction catalyst includes a porous gas diffusion layer and a catalyst layer providing a sharp reaction interface. The electroreduction catalyst can be used for converting CO.sub.2 into a target product such as ethylene. The porous gas diffusion layer can be hydrophobic and configured for contacting gas-phase CO.sub.2 while the catalyst layer is disposed on and covers a reaction interface side of the porous gas diffusion layer. The catalyst layer has another side contacting an electrolyte and can be hydrophilic, composed a metal such as Cu and is sufficiently thin to prevent diffusion limitations of the reactant in the electrolyte and enhance selectivity for the target product. The electroreduction catalyst can be made by vapor deposition methods and can be used for electrochemical production of ethylene in reaction system.

The current disclosure provides alternating current based systems and methods to develop chemical compounds, such as drug molecules using electrochemistry in organic synthesis.

The current disclosure provides alternating current based systems and methods to develop chemical compounds, such as drug molecules using electrochemistry in organic synthesis.

A method for depositing a catalyst layer onto a porous conductive substrate is provided. A catalyst ink is provided comprising catalyst particles suspended in a solvent. The catalyst ink is deposited onto a porous conductive substrate, wherein the solvent of the deposited catalyst ink is frozen. The frozen solvent is sublimated, leaving the catalyst layer.

An organic hydride production apparatus includes: an electrolyte membrane having proton conductivity; a cathode, provided on one side of the electrolyte membrane, that contains a cathode catalyst used to hydrogenate a hydrogenation target substance using protons to produce an organic hydride; an anode, provided opposite to the one side of the electrolyte membrane, that contains an anode catalyst used to oxidize water to produce protons; and an anode support, provided opposite to the electrolyte membrane side of the anode, that supports the anode. The anode support is formed of an elastic porous body of which the Young's modulus is greater than 0.1 N/mm.sup.2 and less than 43 N/mm.sup.2.

An organic hydride production apparatus includes: an electrolyte membrane having proton conductivity; a cathode, provided on one side of the electrolyte membrane, that contains a cathode catalyst used to hydrogenate a hydrogenation target substance using protons to produce an organic hydride; an anode, provided opposite to the one side of the electrolyte membrane, that contains an anode catalyst used to oxidize water to produce protons; and an anode support, provided opposite to the electrolyte membrane side of the anode, that supports the anode. The anode support is formed of an elastic porous body of which the Young's modulus is greater than 0.1 N/mm.sup.2 and less than 43 N/mm.sup.2.

Systems and methods for electrochemically producing chemical products are provided. In certain cases, the systems and methods described herein are capable of producing chemical products such as hydrogen peroxide in solutions with relatively low concentrations of electrolyte or other dissolved species at high efficiencies and/or low energetic cost. In some cases, redox mediators are used to spatially decouple direct electrochemical processes from the production of the chemical product.

A method for cleaving a disulfide bond in a protein includes: cleaving a disulfide bond in a protein present in a reaction system by reduction via a reduced redox protein; and reducing an oxidized redox protein produced by oxidation of the reduced redox protein in the cleaving to the reduced redox protein by donating an electron from an electrode connected to an external power supply outside the reaction system to the oxidized redox protein.

A method for cleaving a disulfide bond in a protein includes: cleaving a disulfide bond in a protein present in a reaction system by reduction via a reduced redox protein; and reducing an oxidized redox protein produced by oxidation of the reduced redox protein in the cleaving to the reduced redox protein by donating an electron from an electrode connected to an external power supply outside the reaction system to the oxidized redox protein.

A device for converting biomass into a redox mediator in reduced form, including an assembly of microbial fuel cells including a first compartment including an anode and fermentative microorganisms and electroactive microorganisms, and a second compartment including a cathode and a solution including the mediator, and an external resistor connecting the cathode and the anode. The value of the external resistance of at least one microbial fuel cell is distinct from that of at least one other microbial fuel cell. The device thus makes it possible to induce segregation of fermentative microorganisms and electroactive microorganisms along the assembly.