An electrochemical reaction device comprises: an anode to oxidize water and thus generate oxygen; an electrolytic solution flow path facing on the anode and through which a first electrolytic solution containing the water flows; a a cathode to reduce carbon dioxide and thus generate a carbon compound; a separator between the anode and the cathode; a power supply connected to the anode and the cathode; and a flow path plate including a first flow path facing on the cathode and through which the carbon dioxide flows and a second flow path facing on the cathode and through which at least one of a second electrolytic solution and the carbon dioxide flows.

Electrolytic cartridges for, systems for, and methods of electrolyzing a brine solution of water and an alkali salt to produce acidic electrolyzed water and alkaline electrolyzed water are provided. The system includes an internal chamber for receiving the brine solution and at least two electrolytic cartridges immersed in a brine bath. Each electrolytic cartridge includes an electrode, an ion selective membrane disposed on a side of the electrode so as to define a space adjacent to at least a portion of the electrode, a permeable insert covering the ion selective membrane on a side opposite the space, and a bonding plate disposed on the permeable insert on a side opposite the side facing the ion selective membrane. The methods recycle at least a portion of alkaline electrolyzed water into the feed of a cartridge having a positively charged electrode.

An optical device includes an intermetallic compound of a first metal and a second metal having a lower work function than the first metal, or a solid-solution alloy of the first metal and the second metal and includes an n-type semiconductor in Schottky junction with the intermetallic compound or the solid-solution alloy.

Multipurpose electrolytic device (EMPD) for forced or spontaneous electrolytic processes, which incorporates selective and unidirectional ion exchange membranes in order to separate between two or more compartments and allow electrical conductivity therebetween, with independent electrolytes for controlled electrolytic ion transformation, regardless of the chemical composition of the electrolyte containing the element of interest, with high faradaic efficiency and high energy performance. The invention also relates to a method. The device can be used for processes such as metal electrowinning (EW), metal electrorefining, electrooxidation (EOXI) and electroreduction (ERED) of ionic species. The device uses two independent, energetically suitable electrolytes, which allow controlled electrolytic ion transformation, with high faradaic efficiency and high energy performance, unlike current forced electrolysis methods, which operate with a common electrolyte. The device can be used in any aqueous medium, for example an acid environment, such as sulphuric, hydrochloric or other acid, a caustic-soda-based alkaline, or ammonium, thiocyanate or thiosulfate salts, with or without the presence of organic reactants.

Disclosed herein are ion exchange membranes, electrochemical systems, and methods that relate to various configurations of the ion exchange membranes and other components of the electrochemical cell.

The invention relates to a combined electrolytic system for precipitating different types of metals (copper, zinc, nickel, cadmium, cobalt, silver, gold) and regenerating reagents for the leaching of metal sulphurs from solutions from leaching in a sulphuric-oxidising or hydrochloric-oxidising environment, including a process that permits the combining of the current reduction processes followed by oxidising processes which are complex and potentially dangerous from an environmental point of view, thereby preventing the risky transportation of dangerous substances, loading and unloading operations, storage and manipulation of toxic materials, and reducing the environmentally contaminating waste, producing a commercial-quality cathodic product and a solution that is re-used in the leaching process. The system comprises a membrane cell device (3) that is connected via ducts and valves to one or more oxidising agent tanks (7), to one or more anodic solution tanks (6) and to one or more cathodic solution tanks (2), wherein said membrane device (3) is formed by one or more cathodic compartments (4) and by one or more anode compartments (5), wherein each of the cathodic compartment(s) (4) is/are separated from each of the anode compartment(s) (5) by a membrane for selective and uni-directional ion exchange.

An electro-thermochemical cycling system for producing ammonia is provided that includes a reaction chamber having a metal compound input port, an anode suitable for oxidation in contact with the metal compound and configured for oxidation of hydroxide ions to water and oxygen, a cathode suitable for plating in contact with the metal compound and configured to electrolyze the metal compound to metal, a voltage source connecting the cathode and anode, a nitrogen port to the reaction chamber that combines nitrogen with the electrolyzed metal on the cathode to form a metal-nitrogen compound proximal to the nitrogen input, an atomic hydrogen port to the reaction chamber that combines with the metal-nitrogen compound to form ammonia, and an ammonia output port from the reaction chamber, where a metal compound input port inputs the metal compound to the reaction chamber according to a depletion rate of the metal compound in the reaction chamber.

Provided herein are anode assembly, conductive contact strips, electrochemical cells containing the anode assembly and the conductive contact strips, and methods to use and manufacture the same, where the anode assembly includes a plurality of V-shaped, U-shaped, or Z-shaped elements positioned outside the anode shell and in electrical contact with the anode.

An electrochemical reactor includes positive and negative electrodes. A conductive and/or dielectric liquid is provided between the positive and negative electrodes. A first isolation member provided on the positive electrode isolates the positive electrode from the liquid, and a second isolation member provided on the negative electrode isolates the negative electrode from the liquid. The first and second isolation member each includes a liquid-repellent porous membrane. The reactor further includes a pressure-applying member which pressurizes the liquid to fill the pores of the first and second liquid-repellent porous membranes with the liquid, thereby causing an electrochemical reaction involving the positive and negative electrodes.

Provided is a method of preventing reverse current flow through an ion exchange membrane electrolyzer, which method is capable of preventing a reverse current from being generated after stopping operation of the ion exchange membrane electrolyzer. A method of preventing reverse current flow through an ion exchange membrane electrolyzer 100, the ion exchange membrane electrolyzer 100 having an anode chamber 107 housing an anode, a cathode chamber 110 housing a cathode, an anode solution-supplying manifold 121 to feed anode solution to the anode chamber 107, and a cathode solution-supplying manifold 124 to feed cathode solution to the cathode chamber 110. After stopping operation of the ion exchange membrane electrolyzer 100, injected is a low electrical conductivity material with an electrical conductivity lower than that of the anode solution or the cathode solution to at least one of an anode solution-supplying pipe 127 which supplies the anode solution to the anode solution-supplying manifold 121 from an anode solution tank 123 and a cathode solution-supplying pipe 128 which supplies the cathode solution to the cathode solution-supplying manifold 124 from a cathode solution tank 123.