# US 11,111,589 B2 · Electrolytic cell and electrolytic device for carbon dioxide > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,111,589 B2 - Document ID: US11111589B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/560,380 - Filed: 2019-09-04 - Published: 2020-01-02 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2018-03-16 - Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba - Applicants: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba - Inventors: Yuki Kudo; Akihiko Ono; Masakazu Yamagiwa; Ryota Kitagawa; Jun Tamura; Yoshitsune Sugano; Takayuki Tsukagoshi; Asahi Motoshige; Satoshi Mikoshiba - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11111589B2 ## CPC - C25B 15/08: Supplying or removing reactants or electrolytes; Regeneration of electrolytes - C25B 1/04: by electrolysis of water - C25B 3/03: Acyclic or carbocyclic hydrocarbons - C25B 3/07: Oxygen containing compounds - C25B 3/25: Reduction - C25B 3/26: of carbon dioxide - C25B 9/23: comprising ion-exchange membranes in or on which electrode material is embedded - C25B 9/65: Means for supplying current; Electrode connections; Electric inter-cell connections - C25B 9/73: of the filter-press type - C25B 15/083: {Separating products} - Y02E 60/36: Hydrogen production from non-carbon containing sources, e.g. by water electrolysis - C25B: ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF COMPOUNDS OR NON-METALS; APPARATUS THEREFOR (anodic or cathodic protection C23F13/00; single-crystal growth C30B) - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract An electrolytic cell for carbon dioxide of an embodiment includes: an anode part including an anode to oxidize water or a hydroxide ion and thus produce oxygen and an anode solution flow path to supply an anode solution to the anode; a cathode part including a cathode to reduce carbon dioxide and thus produce a carbon compound, a cathode solution flow path to supply a cathode solution to the cathode, a gas flow path to supply the carbon dioxide to the cathode, and a hydrophobic porous body disposed between the cathode and the gas flow path; and a separator to separate the anode part and the cathode part from each other. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electrolytic cell for carbon dioxide comprising: an anode part including an anode to oxidize water or a hydroxide ion and thus produce oxygen and an anode solution flow path to supply an anode solution to the anode; a cathode part including a cathode to reduce carbon dioxide and thus produce a carbon compound, a cathode solution flow path to supply a cathode solution to the cathode, a gas flow path to supply the carbon dioxide to the cathode, and a hydrophobic porous body disposed between the cathode and the gas flow path; and a separator to separate the anode part and the cathode part from each other, wherein the cathode includes a catalyst layer facing the cathode solution flow path and a gas diffusion layer in contact with the hydrophobic porous body, and the hydrophobic porous body is disposed between the gas diffusion layer and the gas flow path. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The cell according to claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic porous body contains a fluororesin in an amount of 50 mass % or more as a hydrophobic substance. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The cell according to claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic porous body contains a fluororesin in an amount of 50 mass % or more as a hydrophobic substance, and wherein the gas diffusion layer contains a fluororesin in an amount of not less than 5 mass % nor more than 10 mass % as a hydrophobic substance. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The cell according to claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic porous body has a porosity of not less than 40% nor more than 90%. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The cell according to claim 1, wherein the anode part includes an anode current collector plate in electrical connection with the anode, and the cathode part includes a cathode current collector plate in electrical connection with the cathode. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The cell according to claim 5, wherein the cathode current collector plate is disposed between the cathode solution flow path and the cathode. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The cell according to claim 6, wherein the cathode current collector plate has an opening with a 40% open area ratio or more. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The cell according to claim 5, wherein the cathode current collector plate is disposed between the cathode and the hydrophobic porous body. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The cell according to claim 8, wherein the cathode current collector plate has an opening with a 40% open area ratio or more. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The cell according to claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic porous body is larger in area than the cathode. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) An electrolytic device for carbon dioxide comprising: the electrolytic cell according to claim 1; and a power source to pass a current across the anode and the cathode of the electrolytic cell. ### Claim 12 An electrolytic cell for carbon dioxide comprising: an anode part including an anode to oxidize water or a hydroxide ion and thus produce oxygen and an anode solution flow path to supply an anode solution to the anode; a cathode part including a cathode to reduce carbon dioxide and thus produce a carbon compound, a cathode solution flow path to supply a cathode solution to the cathode, a gas flow path to supply the carbon dioxide to the cathode, and a hydrophobic porous body disposed between the cathode and the gas flow path; and a separator to separate the anode part and the cathode part from each other, wherein the hydrophobic porous body contains a fluororesin in an amount of 50 mass % or more as a hydrophobic substance. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The cell according to claim 12, wherein the hydrophobic porous body has a porosity of not less than 40% nor more than 90%. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The cell according to claim 12, wherein the anode part includes an anode current collector plate in electrical connection with the anode, and the cathode part includes a cathode current collector plate in electrical connection with the cathode. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The cell according to claim 14, wherein the cathode current collector plate is disposed between the cathode solution flow path and the cathode. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The cell according to claim 14, wherein the cathode current collector plate is disposed between the cathode and the hydrophobic porous body. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) An electrolytic device for carbon dioxide comprising: the electrolytic cell according to claim 12; and a power source to pass a current across the anode and the cathode of the electrolytic cell. ### Claim 18 An electrolytic cell for carbon dioxide comprising: an anode part including an anode to oxidize water or a hydroxide ion and thus produce oxygen and an anode solution flow path to supply an anode solution to the anode; a cathode part including a cathode to reduce carbon dioxide and thus produce a carbon compound, a cathode solution flow path to supply a cathode solution to the cathode, a gas flow path to supply the carbon dioxide to the cathode, and a hydrophobic porous body disposed between the cathode and the gas flow path; and a separator to separate the anode part and the cathode part from each other, wherein the anode part includes an anode current collector plate in electrical connection with the anode, and the cathode part includes a cathode current collector plate in electrical connection with the cathode, and wherein the cathode current collector plate is disposed between the cathode and the hydrophobic porous body. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The cell according to claim 18, wherein the cathode current collector plate has an opening with a 40% open area ratio or more. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) An electrolytic device for carbon dioxide comprising: the electrolytic cell according to claim 18; and a power source to pass a current across the anode and the cathode of the electrolytic cell.