A method for the production of value added chemicals comprising: introducing carbon dioxide to a system comprising an electrochemical cell comprising a carbon dioxide reducing catalyst and an electrolyte under conditions suitable for conversion of carbon dioxide to one or more C.sub.2 compounds; introducing at least a portion of the one or more C.sub.2 compounds to a second system comprising a microbe and a media under conditions suitable for conversion of the C.sub.2 compounds to one or more C.sub.2+n compounds where n is from about 1 to about 100. A method of preparing value added chemicals comprising: a means for converting carbon dioxide to one or more C.sub.2 compounds and a microbe wherein the C.sub.2 compound is contacted with the microbe under conditions suitable for the formation of one or more C.sub.2+n compounds.