Disclosed herein are doped perovskite oxides. The doped perovskite oxides may be used as a cathode material in an electrochemical cell to electrochemically generate ammonia from N.sub.2. The doped perovskite oxides may be combined with nitride compounds, for instance iron nitride, to further increase the efficiency of the ammonia production.

The present invention relates to a carbon-assisted solid oxide electrolysis cell comprising: a cathode, an electrolyte, an anode, and an anode chamber set in the order. The cathode is supplied with water as an oxidant and the reduction reaction occurs. The anode chamber includes carbon fuel and CO.sub.2 absorber, supplied with the water as in situ gasification agent, wherein the water assists the gasification of the carbon fuel to generate CO and H.sub.2. The O.sup.2− ions generated by cathode are transported to the anode through the electrolyte, and react with CO and H.sub.2 generated in the anode chamber as oxidant. The CO produced by the carbon gasification reaction partly reacts with water to generate CO.sub.2 and H.sub.2, while the CO.sub.2 absorber promotes the production of H.sub.2 by absorbing the CO.sub.2 produced by the water gas shift reaction. The present invention can control the internal gas composition of the CA-SOEC anode effectively, improving the performance of the carbon-assisted electrolysis cell and reducing energy consumption. Furthermore, the present invention achieves the simultaneous generation of fuel gas by the cathode and the anode, significantly improving the efficiency of the electrolysis.

The present invention relates to a carbon-assisted solid oxide electrolysis cell comprising: a cathode, an electrolyte, an anode, and an anode chamber set in the order. The cathode is supplied with water as an oxidant and the reduction reaction occurs. The anode chamber includes carbon fuel and CO.sub.2 absorber, supplied with the water as in situ gasification agent, wherein the water assists the gasification of the carbon fuel to generate CO and H.sub.2. The O.sup.2− ions generated by cathode are transported to the anode through the electrolyte, and react with CO and H.sub.2 generated in the anode chamber as oxidant. The CO produced by the carbon gasification reaction partly reacts with water to generate CO.sub.2 and H.sub.2, while the CO.sub.2 absorber promotes the production of H.sub.2 by absorbing the CO.sub.2 produced by the water gas shift reaction. The present invention can control the internal gas composition of the CA-SOEC anode effectively, improving the performance of the carbon-assisted electrolysis cell and reducing energy consumption. Furthermore, the present invention achieves the simultaneous generation of fuel gas by the cathode and the anode, significantly improving the efficiency of the electrolysis.

Herein discussed is a method of producing carbon monoxide comprising: (a) providing an electrochemical reactor having an anode, a cathode, and a mixed-conducting membrane between the anode and the cathode; (b) introducing a first stream to the anode, wherein the first stream comprises a fuel; (c) introducing a second stream to the cathode, wherein the second stream comprises carbon dioxide, wherein carbon monoxide is generated from carbon dioxide electrochemically; wherein the reactor generates no electricity and receives no electricity. In an embodiment, the anode and the cathode are separated by the membrane and are both exposed to reducing environments during the entire time of operation.

Herein discussed is a method of producing carbon monoxide comprising: (a) providing an electrochemical reactor having an anode, a cathode, and a mixed-conducting membrane between the anode and the cathode; (b) introducing a first stream to the anode, wherein the first stream comprises a fuel; (c) introducing a second stream to the cathode, wherein the second stream comprises carbon dioxide, wherein carbon monoxide is generated from carbon dioxide electrochemically; wherein the reactor generates no electricity and receives no electricity. In an embodiment, the anode and the cathode are separated by the membrane and are both exposed to reducing environments during the entire time of operation.

The electrochemical apparatus of the present disclosure includes a first stack that includes an oxide ion conductor as an electrolyte and decomposes water vapor to generate hydrogen and oxygen, a second stack that includes a proton conductor as an electrolyte and separates the hydrogen generated in the first stack from a gas mixture of the hydrogen and the water vapor that has not been decomposed in the first stack, and a heat insulation material that covers the first stack and the second stack.

The electrochemical apparatus of the present disclosure includes a first stack that includes an oxide ion conductor as an electrolyte and decomposes water vapor to generate hydrogen and oxygen, a second stack that includes a proton conductor as an electrolyte and separates the hydrogen generated in the first stack from a gas mixture of the hydrogen and the water vapor that has not been decomposed in the first stack, and a heat insulation material that covers the first stack and the second stack.

Herein discussed is an electrochemical reactor comprising a first electrode, wherein the first electrode is liquid when the reactor is in operation; a second electrode having a metallic phase and a ceramic phase, wherein the metallic phase is electronically conductive and wherein the ceramic phase is ionically conductive; and a membrane, wherein the membrane is positioned between the first and second electrodes and is in contact with the first and second electrodes, wherein the membrane is mixed conducting. Also discussed herein is a method of producing hydrogen or carbon monoxide comprising: (a) providing an electrochemical reactor having an anode, a cathode, and a membrane between the anode and the cathode, wherein the anode is liquid when the reactor is in operation and wherein the membrane is mixed conducting; (b) introducing a feedstock to the anode; (c) introducing a stream to the cathode, wherein the stream comprises water or carbon dioxide.

An electrochemical device may be formed by assembly by stacking preassembled modules, each of these modules being produced as a usual stack of electrochemical cells. The manufacture of preassembled modules can make it possible to produce electrochemical devices with a large number of electrochemical cells, without the bracing problems present and excessive crushing courses that are encountered in the cell stacks according to the prior art, i.e., in a single block.

An electrochemical device may be formed by assembly by stacking preassembled modules, each of these modules being produced as a usual stack of electrochemical cells. The manufacture of preassembled modules can make it possible to produce electrochemical devices with a large number of electrochemical cells, without the bracing problems present and excessive crushing courses that are encountered in the cell stacks according to the prior art, i.e., in a single block.