An electrochemical reduction device comprising: an electrode unit configured to include an electrolyte membrane, a reduction electrode that contains a reduction catalyst for hydrogenating at least one benzene ring of an aromatic compound, and an oxygen evolving electrode; a power control unit that applies a voltage Va between the reduction electrode and the oxygen evolving electrode; a concentration measurement unit that measures a concentration of an aromatic compound to be supplied to the reduction electrode; and a raw material supply amount adjustment unit that adjusts the amount of an organic liquid including an aromatic compound to be supplied to the reduction electrode per unit time based on the concentration measured by the concentration measurement unit.

The present invention provides a methanol generation device for generating methanol by reducing carbon dioxide, comprising: a container for storing an electrolyte solution containing carbon dioxide; a cathode electrode disposed in the container so as to be in contact with the electrolyte solution; an anode electrode disposed in the container so as to be in contact with the electrolyte solution; and an external power supply for applying a voltage so that a potential of the cathode electrode is negative with respect to a potential of the anode electrode. The cathode electrode has a region of Cu.sub.1-x-yNi.sub.xAu.sub.y (0<x, 0<y, and x+y<1). The anode electrode has a region of a metal or a metal compound.

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

The present invention provides a method of preparing oxalic acid (H.sub.2C.sub.2O.sub.4), the method at least comprising the steps of: (a) providing a metal formate (HCO.sub.2M) containing stream, wherein the metal (M) of the metal formate (HCO.sub.2M) is a monovalent metal selected from the group consisting of Li, Na, K, Cs, Rb and a mixture thereof; (b) heating the metal formate (HCO.sub.2M) containing stream thereby obtaining a metal oxalate (M.sub.2C.sub.2O.sub.4) containing stream; (c) subjecting the metal oxalate (M.sub.2C.sub.2O.sub.4) containing stream to electrodialysis, thereby obtaining at least oxalic acid (M.sub.2C.sub.2O.sub.4) and a metal hydroxide (MOH).

A method for the substantially complete conversion of hydrogenous matter to higher value product, the method comprising: (i) subjecting the hydrogenous matter to a substantially complete deconstruction process in which an aqueous phase containing a multiplicity of deconstructed compounds is produced; and (ii) contacting the aqueous phase with an anode of a microbial electrolysis cell, said anode containing a community of microbes thereon which oxidatively degrade one or more of the oxygenated organic compounds in the aqueous phase to produce protons and free electrons at the anode, wherein the protons and free electrons are transported to the cathode to produce hydrogen gas or a valuable reduced organic compound at the cathode upon application of a suitable cell potential across the anode and cathode. The invention is also directed to an apparatus for practicing the method described above.

A method and a device for electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide for preparing a high-concentration formate salt. Carbon dioxide is continuously supplied to a cathode unit and is continuously supplied to a metal hydroxide to the anode unit. A voltage or current is applied to the cathode unit and the anode unit for reducing the carbon dioxide to obtain the formate salt.

Various embodiments disclosed relate to electrocatalytic hydrogenation of muconic acid and polymers formed from the reaction products thereof. In various embodiments, the present invention provides an electrocatalytic method to prepare 3-hexene-1,6-dioic acid, 2-hexene-1,6-dioic acid, adipic acid, or a combination thereof, from muconic acid. The method includes passing current through a catalytic cathode in a reactor including an aqueous acidic solution including muconic acid, a supporting electrolyte, and an anode, so as to generate atomic hydrogen on the cathode surface in an amount effective to hydrogenate the muconic acid to yield a product including 3-hexene-1,6-dioic acid, 2-hexene-1,6-dioic acid, adipic acid, or a mixture thereof. Also disclosed is the polymerization of 3-hexene-1,6-dioic acid, 2-hexene-1,6-dioic acid, or a combination thereof with another compound, such as a diamine or a dialcohol, to form a polymer, such as a polyamide or a polyester.

A device and process for using the device are provided for the production of commodity, specialty, performance or fine chemicals by redox enzyme systems which require the addition of reducing equivalents. The device allows operating conditions to be conveniently altered to achieve maximal electrochemical efficiencies for a given enzymatically mediated redox reaction or series of reactions.

An organic hydride production apparatus that enables the reduction reaction at the cathode of an organic compound having an unsaturated bond to proceed at high current efficiency and at a low electric power consumption rate, and a method for producing an organic hydride that uses this production apparatus. The production apparatus includes a solid polymer electrolyte membrane having proton conductivity, a cathode which is provided on one surface of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane and generates a hydride by reducing a substance to be hydrogenated, a cathode chamber which houses the cathode and is supplied with the substance to be hydrogenated, an electrode catalyst-containing anode which is provided on the other surface of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane and generates protons by oxidizing water, and an anode chamber which houses the anode and is supplied with an electrolytic solution, wherein the substance to be hydrogenated is supplied from the lower end of the cathode chamber, the production apparatus has a hydride outlet through which the product and the like is discharged from the upper end of the cathode chamber, and at least one partition with a width of not less than 0.1 mm is formed inside the cathode camber.

The present disclosure provides a fuel production method and a fuel production apparatus which efficiently convert solar light energy into a fuel. The fuel production apparatus of the present disclosure includes a laminate, an electrolytic bath, and a support tool or a proton permeable membrane. The laminate includes a photoelectromotive layer having a p-n junction structure, a cathode electrode, an anode electrode and a side surface insulating layer, and the photoelectromotive layer includes a semiconductor layer that absorbs light in a near-infrared region with a wavelength of 900 nm or more. In the fuel production apparatus, an underwater optical path length is set to an optimum design value, so that even light in a near-infrared region with a wavelength of 900 nm or more is sufficiently utilized to efficiently convert light energy into at least one fuel selected from hydrogen, carbon monoxide, formic acid, methane, ethylene, methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, allyl alcohol, acetaldehyde and propionaldehyde through a reduction reaction on the cathode electrode.