The electrochemical reactors disclosed herein provide novel oxidation and reduction chemistries and employ in-creased mass transport rates of materials to and from the surfaces of electrodes

Devices for electrochemically activating precursor compound through oxidation (or reduction) to produce active compound are provided. Devices may include an electrochemical reactor having an electrochemical cell including an anode and a cathode housed in a shared compartment, or an anode housed in an anode compartment, a cathode housed in a cathode compartment, and a semipermeable membrane separating the anode and cathode compartments, wherein the anode and cathode form an electrical circuit in the presence of electrolyte solution; and a sealed housing enclosing the electrochemical cell, the housing including a precursor compound input in communication with the anode/cathode/shared compartment, for inputting precursor compound, an active compound output in communication with the anode/cathode/shared compartment for outputting activated compound following activation, and a gas release and/or liquid overflow port; a power supply powering the electrochemical reactor; and, optionally, a pump or valve controlling flow rate of the assembly.

Electrochemical and photoelectrochemical cells for the oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural to 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid and/or 2,5-diformylfuran are provided. Also provided are methods of using the cells to carry out the electrochemical and photoelectrochemical oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural to 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid and/or 2,5-diformylfuran.

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 based on the so-called Keplerate capsules, such as [{(W.sup.VI)W.sup.VI.sub.5O.sub.21(SO.sub.4)}.sub.12{(Fe(H.sub.2O)).sub.30}(SO.sub.4).sub.13(H.sub.2O).sub.34].sup.32or [{(Mo.sup.VI)Mo.sup.VI.sub.5O.sub.21)(X.sub.1).sub.6}.sub.12{Fe.sup.III(H.sub.2O)(X.sub.1)}.sub.30] or solvates thereof as catalysts, wherein X.sub.1 and X.sub.1 are each independently selected from H.sub.2O, Mo.sub.2O.sub.8.sup.2, Mo.sub.2O.sub.9.sup.2, CH.sub.3COO.sup. (acetate), or any combination thereof.

The invention relates to a method for converting carbon dioxide and water, wherein the electrolyte comprises a proton sponge which serves to accumulate CO2 in the electrolyte. The invention further relates to a corresponding use of a proton sponge and to an electrolyte comprising at least one proton sponge.

The present invention relates to a method for production of a noble metal salt preparation, the noble metal salt preparation comprising at least one noble metal sulfonate and thiourea and the use for surface coating by electroplating or electroless plating of a noble metal or metal alloy.

Provided is a synthesis method comprising a first step of producing a carbonate compound from carbon monoxide and an alcohol-based compound at an anode of a first electrochemical cell comprising a cathode and the anode, and a second step of synthesizing a first product by a dealcoholization reaction of the carbonate compound, wherein an alcohol-based compound eliminated in the second step is recycled in the first step.

The electrochemical reactors disclosed herein provide novel oxidation and reduction chemistries and employ increased mass transport rates of materials to and from the surfaces of electrodes therein.

Lignin is electro-oxidized to commercially useful products using a binary transition metal catalyst. In particular, the transition metal catalyst includes nickel or cobalt as a first metal and any other transition metal as a second metal. The binary catalyst system prevents poisoning of the catalyst, extending the useful life of the catalyst.

The invention is directed to the to the electrochemical preparation of 2,5- furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) from 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) by electrochemical oxidation, comprising a first oxidation step of oxidizing HMF to 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furan-carboxylic acid (HMFCA) in an electrochemical cell, subsequently a first isolation step of isolating HMFCA, followed by a second oxidation step of HMFCA to FDCA.