An electrochemical method includes performing anodic halogenation of Cu foils, performing subsequent oxide-formation in a KHCO.sub.3 electrolyte, and performing an electroreduction in neutral KHCO.sub.3 to generate a copper catalyst.

The present invention refers to an electrolytic treatment device having an anodic compartment comprising a non-chromium (VI) etching solution to be treated and immersed therein an anode. The anodic compartment is separated by a membrane from a cathodic compartment comprising a cathodic solution comprising an inorganic acid, wherein the anode and the cathode are used comprising or consisting of a ternary or higher Pb alloy with Sn and at least one further metal selected from the group consisting of Sb, Ag, Co, Bi and combinations thereof. Moreover, a method for etching plastic parts is provided as well.

In various aspects and embodiments the invention provides a method for preparing a metal periodate by anodic oxidation of a metal iodide in an electrolysis cell comprising one or more anodes and one or more cathodes, characterised in that the one or more anodes are carbon-comprising electrodes. In certain embodiments the method is characterised in that the one or more anodes comprise a diamond layer doped with one or more IUPAC group 13, 15 or 16 elements of the periodic table.

The present invention relates to an electrode assembly and an electrolyser using one or more of said assemblies, in particular the present invention provides an electrode assembly for the production of hydrogen comprising: i) an anode structure which comprises an anode located within an electrolysis compartment, ii) a cathode structure which comprises a cathode located within an electrolysis compartment containing a solution of an alkali metal hydroxide, characterised in that the cathode comprises: a) An electrically conductive metal substrate, and b) An electrocatalytic layer on the substrate and comprising a, at least one metal selected from platinum group metals, rhenium, nickel, cobalt and molybdenum and b. at least 50% by volume of an electrically conductive support material, wherein the electrically conductive support material is formed from particles having an average particle size of less than 5 microns (5 μm) and which are not metallic particles.

The present invention relates to an electrode assembly and an electrolyser using one or more of said assemblies, in particular the present invention provides an electrode assembly for the production of hydrogen comprising: i) an anode structure which comprises an anode located within an electrolysis compartment, ii) a cathode structure which comprises a cathode located within an electrolysis compartment containing a solution of an alkali metal hydroxide, characterised in that the cathode comprises: a) An electrically conductive metal substrate, and b) An electrocatalytic layer on the substrate and comprising a, at least one metal selected from platinum group metals, rhenium, nickel, cobalt and molybdenum and b. at least 50% by volume of an electrically conductive support material, wherein the electrically conductive support material is formed from particles having an average particle size of less than 5 microns (5 μm) and which are not metallic particles.

The present invention refers to an electrolytic treatment device having an anodic compartment comprising a non-chromium (VI) etching solution to be treated and immersed therein an anode. The anodic compartment is separated by a membrane from a cathodic compartment comprising a cathodic solution comprising an inorganic acid, wherein the anode and the cathode are used comprising or consisting of a ternary or higher Pb alloy with Sn and at least one further metal selected from the group consisting of Sb, Ag, Co, Bi and combinations thereof. Moreover, a method for etching plastic parts is provided as well.

The disclosure relates in its first aspect to a process of conversion of a gaseous stream comprising methane into hydrogen (51) and carbon (25), the process is remarkable in that it comprises a step (a) of providing a first gaseous stream (3, 7); a step (b) of bromination and synthesis in which the first gaseous stream (3, 7) is put in contact with a second stream (53) comprising bromine resulting in the formation of a third stream (15) comprising methyl bromides and hydrogen bromide, and of a fourth stream (25) comprising carbon including graphite and/or carbon black; a step (c) of separation performed on the third stream (15) to recover a hydrogen bromide-rich stream (41) which is then oxidized in a step (d) to produce a stream (51) comprising hydrogen. The second aspect relates to the installation for performing the process of the first aspect and the third aspect concerns the use of bromine in such process.

The disclosure relates in its first aspect to a process of conversion of a gaseous stream comprising methane into hydrogen (51) and carbon (25), the process is remarkable in that it comprises a step (a) of providing a first gaseous stream (3, 7); a step (b) of bromination and synthesis in which the first gaseous stream (3, 7) is put in contact with a second stream (53) comprising bromine resulting in the formation of a third stream (15) comprising methyl bromides and hydrogen bromide, and of a fourth stream (25) comprising carbon including graphite and/or carbon black; a step (c) of separation performed on the third stream (15) to recover a hydrogen bromide-rich stream (41) which is then oxidized in a step (d) to produce a stream (51) comprising hydrogen. The second aspect relates to the installation for performing the process of the first aspect and the third aspect concerns the use of bromine in such process.

The present invention relates to regioselective chemical and electrochemical processes for the preparation of an oxidized heterocyclic alpha-amino amide compounds. By applying specific catalysts or catalyst systems during chemical oxidation or by applying particular electrochemical oxidation conditions the present invention provides access to valuable alpha amino amide compounds, which are oxidized at the heterocyclic amino group by regioselective introduction of either a hydroxyl or a keto group. In a more particular embodiment, the present invention describes a chemical oxidation reaction, which advantageously is applicable in the enantioselective synthesis of valuable oxidized heterocyclic alpha-amino amide compounds, like levetiracetam, brivaracetam or the synthesis of piracetam. Another aspect of the present invention relates to a process for the electrochemical recycling of alkali perhalogenate oxidants as spent during said regioselective oxidation reactions of the invention. Still another aspect of the invention relates to the electrochemical preparation of perhalogenates.

The present invention relates to a novel biocatalytic process for the stereoselective preparation of alpha amino amide compounds catalyzed by NHase enzymes. A further aspect of the invention relates to novel NHase enzymes as well as further improved NHase enzyme mutants, nucleic acid molecules encoding these enzymes, recombinant microorganisms suitable for preparing such enzymes and mutants. Another aspect of the invention relates to a chemo-biocatalytic process for the preparation of lactam compounds comprising the new catalytic process for the preparation of alpha amino amide compounds catalyzed by NHase enzymes, as well as the chemical oxidation of the alpha amino amide by applying certain chemical oxidation catalysts suitable for converting the alpha amino amide under retention of its stereochemical configuration to the respective lactam. The novel chemo-biocatalytic process is particularly suited for the synthesis of valuable pharmaceutical compounds, like in particular (S)-Levetiracetam.