Systems and methods for fixing carbon using bacteria are described. In one embodiment, a system includes a reactor chamber with a solution contained therein. The solution may include hydrogen (H.sub.2), carbon dioxide (C0.sub.2), bioavailable nitrogen, and a chemolithoautotrophic bacteria. The system may also include a pair of electrodes that split water contained within the solution to form the hydrogen. Additionally, the system may be operated so that a concentration of the bioavailable nitrogen in the solution is below a threshold nitrogen concentration to cause the chemolithoautotrophic bacteria to produce a product.

A chemical reaction system comprises: a supply source to generate a first carbon compound including at least one of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide; an electrochemical reaction device to generate a second carbon compound including carbon monoxide by a reduction reaction of carbon dioxide; a reactor to generate a product including a third carbon compound by a chemical reaction of a reactant including hydrogen and at least one of the first and second carbon compounds; and a flow path through which the second carbon compound is supplied from the electrochemical reaction device to at least one of the supply source and the reactor.

An electrochemical reaction device includes: an electrolytic solution tank to store an electrolytic solution; an oxidation electrode disposed in the electrolytic solution tank; a reduction electrode disposed in the electrolytic solution tank; and a generator connected to the oxidation electrode and the reduction electrode. At least one of the oxidation electrode or the reduction electrode has a porous structure containing fine pores.

A carbon dioxide electrolytic device includes: an electrolysis cell including a cathode, an anode, cathode and anode flow paths, and a separator; a carbon dioxide source to supply carbon dioxide to the cathode flow path; a solution source to supply an electrolytic solution containing water to the anode flow path; at least one sensor to acquire at least one data of a data indicating a discharge amount per unit time of a liquid containing water to be discharged from at least one flow path and a data indicating a concentration of at least one ion in the liquid; a refresh material source including a gas source to supply a gaseous substance to the at least one flow path; and a controller programmed to stop the supply of the carbon dioxide and the electrolytic solution, and start supply of a gaseous substance from the refresh material source, in accordance with the at least one data.

An electrochemical reaction device in an embodiment includes: a reaction unit including a first accommodation part to accommodate carbon dioxide and a second accommodation part to accommodate an electrolytic solution containing water; a reduction electrode to reduce the carbon dioxide; an oxidation electrode to oxidize the water; a power supply to pass current between the reduction electrode and the oxidation electrode; a pressure regulator to regulate a pressure in the first accommodation part; a reaction product detector to detect at least one of an amount and a kind of a substance produced at the reduction electrode; and a controller to control the pressure regulator based on a detection signal of the reaction product detector.

An electrochemical reaction device includes a first unit group having a plurality of first electrochemical reaction units and a second unit group having a plurality of second electrochemical reaction units. Respective electrolytic tanks of the plurality of first electrochemical reaction units are serially connected with each other. Respective electrolytic tanks of the plurality of second electrochemical reaction units are serially connected with each other. The electrolytic tanks of the plurality of second electrochemical reaction units are parallelly connected to the electrolytic tanks of the plurality of first electrochemical reaction units.

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for producing carbon products via electrochemical reduction from fluid streams containing a carbon-containing material, such as, for example, carbon dioxide. Electrochemical reduction systems and methods of the present disclosure may comprise micro- or nanostructured membranes for separation and catalytic processes. The electrochemical reduction systems and methods may utilize renewable energy sources to generate a carbon product comprising one or more carbon atoms (C1+ product), such as, for example, fuel. This may be performed at substantially low (or nearly zero) net or negative carbon emissions.

Various embodiments include an electrolysis cell comprising: a cathode space housing a cathode; a first ion exchange membrane including an anion exchanger and adjoining the cathode space; an anode space housing an anode; a second ion exchange membrane including a cation exchanger and adjoining the anode space; and a salt bridge space disposed between the first ion exchange membrane and the second ion exchange membrane. The cathode comprises: a gas diffusion electrode having a porous bound catalyst structure of a particulate catalyst on a support; a coating of a particulate catalyst on the first and/or second ion exchange membrane; and a porous conductive support impregnated with a catalyst.

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.

Provided is a photoelectrochemical electrode for carbon dioxide conversion. The photoelectrochemical electrode includes a conducting substrate and CuFeO.sub.2/CuO as a p-type copper-iron composite oxide electrodeposited on the conducting substrate. Upon irradiation, the photoelectrochemical electrode generates electrons and converts carbon dioxide to formate with a selectivity of 90 to 99%. Also disclosed is a photoelectrochemical device including the photoelectrochemical electrode.