Provided herein are membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) for carbon oxide reduction. According to various embodiments, the MEAs are configured to address challenges particular to CO.sub.x including mitigating the deleterious effects of electrical current fluctuations on the MEA. Bipolar membrane MEAs equipped with an interface composed of nanoparticles are described.

Provided herein are membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) for carbon oxide reduction. According to various embodiments, the MEAs are configured to address challenges particular to CO.sub.x including mitigating the deleterious effects of electrical current fluctuations on the MEA. Bipolar membrane MEAs equipped with an interface composed of nanoparticles are described.

Disclosed are cathodes comprising a conductive support substrate having a catalyst coating including Ni.sub.5P.sub.4 nanocrystals. The conductive support substrate is capable of incorporating a material to be reduced, such as water or hydrogen cations. Also disclosed are methods for generating hydrogen gas from water via an electrolysis reaction or from the reduction of hydrogen cations, wherein the catalyst is part of a conductive support within a cathode, including (a) placing an anode and the inventive cathode in an electrolyte, (b) placing the anode and cathode in conductive contact with an external source of electricity, (c) providing a source of water to the cathode, and (d) using the external source of electricity to drive an electrolysis reaction at the cathode, whereby the hydrogen gas is generated from water. In certain embodiments, the reaction uses a free catalyst, wherein the catalyst is placed in proximity to the cathode.

An electrocatalytic device for carbon dioxide conversion includes an electrochemical stack comprising a series of cells with a cathode with a Catalytically Active Element metal in the form of supported or unsupported particles or flakes with an average size between 0.6 nm and 100 nm. The reaction products comprise at least one of CO, HCO.sup., H.sub.2CO, (HCOO).sup., HCOOH, CH.sub.3OH, CH.sub.4, C.sub.2H.sub.4, CH.sub.3CH.sub.2OH, CH.sub.3COO.sup., CH.sub.3COOH, C.sub.2H.sub.6, (COOH).sub.2, (COO.sup.).sub.2, and CF.sub.3COOH.

The present invention relates to a photo-electrochemical device for production of a gas, liquid or solid using concentrated electromagnetic irradiation. The device comprises a photovoltaic component configured to generate charge carriers from the concentrated electromagnetic irradiation; and an electrochemical component configured to carry out electrolysis of a reactant. The photovoltaic component contacts the electrochemical component at a solid interface to form an integrated photo-electrochemical device; and further includes at least one reactant channel or a plurality of reactant channels extending between the photovoltaic component and the electrochemical component to transfer heat and the reactant from the photovoltaic component to the electrochemical component. The integrated photo-electrochemical device and auxiliary devices (such as concentrator, flow controllers) build a system which can flexibly react to changes in operating condition and guarantee best performance.

Various examples are provided for electrochemical digestion of organic molecules. In one example, among others, a method includes providing a fluid mixture including organic molecules to a reaction vessel including at least one current distribution part suspended within the fluid mixture. At least a portion of the current distribution part is coated with nano catalytic powders. Current flow can be controlled through the fluid mixture to heat the fluid mixture and simultaneously cause electrolysis of the fluid mixture. In another example, a device includes a pipe section surrounding a fluid mixture including organic molecules, a current distribution part positioned within the pipe section and suspended in the fluid mixture, and an electrical coupling assembly configured to provide an electrical potential to the current distribution part for heating and electrolysis of the fluid mixture. At least a portion of the current distribution part is coated with nano catalytic powders.

A photocatalyst electrode decomposes water with light to generate gas. The photocatalyst electrode has a laminate including a substrate, a conductive layer provided on a surface of the substrate, and a photocatalyst layer provided on a surface of the conductive layer, and a first co-catalyst electrically connected to the photocatalyst layer. The light is incident from the surface side of the photocatalyst layer of the laminate, and in a case where a region where the light is incident on the surface of the photocatalyst layer and above the surface is defined as a first region and the region other than the first region is defined as a second region, the first co-catalyst is provided at least in the second region. The first co-catalyst and the photocatalyst layer are electrically connected to each other by at least one of a transparent conductive layer provided on the surface of the photocatalyst layer or a wiring line.

Fluidized-bed reactors for producing alane are provided herein. An exemplary process includes inducing an electrical potential difference in an electrolyte solution to produce an anolyte solution that includes an alane adduct, wherein an electrical potential difference is generated between anode aluminum particles and a cathode, the electrolyte solution including an alkali metal hydride dissolved in a solvent, the anode aluminum particles and cathode being separated by a diaphragm.

Alloys comprised of a refined microstructure, ultrafine or nano scaled, that when reacted with water or any liquid containing water will spontaneously and rapidly produce hydrogen at ambient or elevated temperature are described. These metals, termed here as aluminum based nanogalvanic alloys will have applications that include but are not limited to energy generation on demand. The alloys may be composed of primarily aluminum and other metals e.g. tin bismuth, indium, gallium, lead, etc. and/or carbon, and mixtures and alloys thereof. The alloys may be processed by ball milling for the purpose of synthesizing powder feed stocks, in which each powder particle will have the above mentioned characteristics. These powders can be used in their inherent form or consolidated using commercially available techniques for the purpose of manufacturing useful functional components.

A method of producing an electrochemically derived graphene oxide and product produced therefrom. The method comprises locating graphite particles within an electrochemical cell having a working electrode, counter electrode, and an aqueous acid electrolyte, the working electrode being positioned within the electrolyte to contact at least a portion of the graphite particles; agitating the graphite particles within the electrolyte; and applying a potential difference between the working electrode and counter electrode, thereby resulting in electrochemical exfoliation and oxidation of the graphite particles to produce graphene oxide.