The present disclosure relates to a process for manufacturing 2,3-butanediol by electroreduction of 3-hydroxybutan-one in an aqueous media.

A method of treating a ceramic body in a glass making process includes delivering a molten glass to a heated ceramic body, the ceramic body including a ceramic phase and an intergranular glass phase, the molten glass being in contact with a surface of the ceramic body. The method further includes contacting the ceramic body with a first electrode and contacting the molten glass with a second electrode. The method further includes applying an electric field between the first electrode and the second electrode to create an electric potential difference across the ceramic body between the first and second electrodes, the electric potential difference being less than an electrolysis threshold of the ceramic phase and the intergranular glass phase. The intergranular glass phase demixes under driven diffusion in the applied electric field and mobile cations in the intergranular glass phase enrich proximate one of the first and second electrode.

The present invention provides a method for making materials and electrocatalytic materials comprising amorphous metals or metal oxides. This method provides a scalable preparative approach for accessing state-of-the-art electrocatalyst films, as demonstrated herein for the electrolysis of water, and extends the scope of usable substrates to include those that are non-conducting and/or three-dimensional electrodes.

A system for synthesizing ammonia includes a reactor including an inlet portion, an outlet portion, and an energy source arranged to deliver energy to one or more reactants receivable through the inlet portion of the reactor, and the energy source activatable to reduce nitrogen to ammonia in the presence of hydrogen, at least one hydrogen pump in fluid communication with the outlet portion of the reactor, each hydrogen pump including at least one electrochemical cell, and a recirculation circuit in fluid communication between the at least one hydrogen pump and the inlet portion of the reactor and configured to direct a respective hydrogen stream from each hydrogen pump to the inlet portion of the reactor.

The present disclosure provides a hydrogen evolution electrode and a preparation method thereof. The preparation method includes the following steps: providing an electrolyte including Co(NO.sub.3).sub.2.Math.6H.sub.2O with a Co(NO.sub.3).sub.2 concentration of 0.005 mol L.sup.−1 to 0.015 mol L.sup.−1, MnCl.sub.2.Math.4H.sub.2O with a MnCl.sub.2 concentration of 0.005 mol L.sup.−1 to 0.01 mol L.sup.−1, KCl with a concentration of 0.003 mol L.sup.−1 to 0.008 mol L.sup.−1, and CH.sub.3CSNH.sub.2 with a concentration of 0.04 mol L.sup.−1 to 0.06 mol L.sup.−1; adjusting the electrolyte to a pH value of 6 to 7; providing a cathode in the form of a substrate; and conducting electrolysis in a cyclic voltammetry mode, thereby preparing the electrode for hydrogen production by water electrolysis through electrochemical deposition of a Co.sub.9-xMn.sub.xS.sub.8 nanosheet catalyst on the cathode substrate, where 1≤X≤7.

Provided is a method for producing a photocatalyst electrode for water decomposition that exhibits excellent detachability between the substrate and the photocatalyst layer and exhibits high photocurrent density. The method for producing a photocatalyst electrode for water decomposition of the invention includes: a metal layer forming step of forming a metal layer on one surface of a first substrate by a vapor phase film-forming method or a liquid phase film-forming method; a photocatalyst layer forming step of forming a photocatalyst layer by subjecting the metal layer to at least one treatment selected from an oxidation treatment, a nitriding treatment, a sulfurization treatment, or a selenization treatment; a current collecting layer forming step of forming a current collecting layer on a surface of the photocatalyst layer, the surface being on the opposite side of the first substrate; and a detachment step of detaching the first substrate from the photocatalyst layer.

Provided is an air electrode or water electrolysis anode showing a higher catalytic activity than carbon black and not having a risk of oxidative degradation, in particular, an air electrode or water electrolysis anode for a metal-air battery or a water electrolysis apparatus. The air electrode or water electrolysis anode includes an electron-conductive material represented by LaNi.sub.1−x−yCu.sub.xFe.sub.yO.sub.3−δ (where x>0, y>0, x+y<1, and 0≦δ≦0.4).

A hydrogen desorption method includes a step of bringing a liquid containing an alicyclic saturated hydrocarbon having a tertiary carbon atom bearing a saturated hydrocarbon side chain, a quinone, and an electrolyte into contact with a anode and a step of desorbing hydrogen from the alicyclic saturated hydrocarbon having a tertiary carbon atom bearing a saturated hydrocarbon side chain.

Titania is a semiconductor and photocatalyst that is also chemically inert. With its bandgap of 3.0, to activate the photocatalytic property of titania requires light of about 390 nm wavelength, which is in the ultra-violet, where sunlight is very low in intensity. A method and devices are disclosed wherein stress is induced and managed in a thin film of titania in order to shift and lower the bandgap energy into the longer wavelengths that are more abundant in sunlight. Applications of this stress-induced bandgap-shifted titania photocatalytic surface include photoelectrolysis for production of hydrogen gas from water, photovoltaics for production of electricity, and photocatalysis for detoxification and disinfection.

A device for producing an azo compound includes a reaction unit in which a first solution comprising a hydrazo compound and at least one type of M.sub.aX.sub.b; a negative electrode disposed to be in direct contact with the hydrazo compound inside the reaction unit; and a positive electrode disposed inside the reaction unit so as to be in contact with the solution. X is a halogen element, M is at least one selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, Li, Na, K, Mg, Ca, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Ag, Zn, Sn, Zr, and Ti, or at least one selected from the group consisting of a primary ammonium ion, a secondary ammonium ion, and a tertiary ammonium ion, H is hydrogen, and a and b are each independently any one integer between 1 and 4.