# US 12,006,580 B2 · Systems and methods for electrochemical generation of syngas and other useful chemicals

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- Number: US 12,006,580 B2
- Document ID: US12006580B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/050,319
- Filed: 2019-04-25
- Published: 2021-04-29
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2018-04-25
- Assignees: The University of British Columbia
- Applicants: The University of British Columbia
- Inventors: Curtis Berlinguette; Danielle Salvatore; Tengfei Li; Maxwell Goldman; Eric Lees
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12006580B2

## CPC

- C25B 1/23: Carbon monoxide or syngas
- B01D 53/1475: {Removing carbon dioxide}
- B01D 53/62: Carbon oxides
- B01D 53/73: After-treatment of removed components
- B01D 53/965: {including an electrochemical process step}
- C25B 1/01: Products
- C25B 1/02: Hydrogen or oxygen
- C25B 3/26: of carbon dioxide
- C25B 9/19: with diaphragms
- C25B 9/23: comprising ion-exchange membranes in or on which electrode material is embedded
- C25B 11/081: the element being a noble metal
- C25B 15/08: Supplying or removing reactants or electrolytes; Regeneration of electrolytes
- B01D 2251/304: of sodium
- B01D 2251/306: of potassium
- B01D 2251/604: Hydroxides
- B01D 2252/103: Water
- B01D 2252/20484: with one hydroxyl group
- B01D 2252/20489: with two or more hydroxyl groups
- B01D 2252/602: Activators, promoting agents, catalytic agents or enzymes
- B01D 2257/504: Carbon dioxide
- B01D 2258/0283: Flue gases
- Y02C 20/40: of CO2
- Y02E 60/36: Hydrogen production from non-carbon containing sources, e.g. by water electrolysis
- Y02P 20/151: Reduction of greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions, e.g. CO2
- 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)
- B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28)
- Y02C: CAPTURE, STORAGE, SEQUESTRATION OR DISPOSAL OF GREENHOUSE GASES [GHG]
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

Processes and apparatus for electrocatalytically converting carbon dioxide emissions and/or ambient carbon dioxide into useful chemicals are described. The process may include: removing carbon dioxide from ambient air through a carbon capture technique, supplying a carbonate or bicarbonate aqueous solution as cathode feed to a cathode of an electrolytic cell comprising a membrane electrode assembly which includes a bipolar membrane separating an anode from the cathode, and applying an electrical potential difference between the cathode and the anode of the membrane electrode assembly to electrocatalytically reduce the carbonate or bicarbonate aqueous solution to carbon monoxide or another useful chemical.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A carbon capture method comprising:
removing carbon dioxide from a source by absorbing and chemically reacting gaseous carbon dioxide to form bicarbonate and/or carbonate in an aqueous solution;
supplying a catholyte comprising the aqueous solution at a cathode of an electrochemical reactor comprising an anode and the cathode separated by a bipolar membrane and applying a potential difference between the anode and the cathode to cause an electrochemical reaction yielding product gas comprising one or both of gas phase carbon dioxide and gas phase carbon monoxide, wherein the supplying of the catholyte at the cathode comprises supplying the aqueous solution in the absence of an additional supply of carbon dioxide gas; and
separating the product gas from the aqueous solution.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 comprising, at the cathode of the electrochemical reactor, generating hydrogen gas wherein the product gas comprises the hydrogen gas.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein the aqueous solution comprises bicarbonate at a concentration of at least 3 moles/liter.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein a current flowing in the electrochemical reactor as a result of the applied potential has a current density at the cathode of at least 100 mA/cm2.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein the electrochemical reactor is operated at a temperature not exceeding 150° C. and not exceeding a boiling point of the aqueous solution.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 comprising maintaining a pressure of the aqueous solution at the cathode of the electrochemical reactor at 2 atmospheres or less.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 comprising flowing the aqueous solution through a cathode chamber of the electrochemical reactor.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein the aqueous solution has a pH above 7.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method according to claim 8 wherein the aqueous solution comprises a strong base.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method according to claim 8 wherein the pH of the aqueous solution is at least 8.0.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The method according to claim 8 wherein the pH of the aqueous solution when supplied for chemically reacting the gaseous carbon dioxide is in the range of 8 to 10.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein the aqueous solution has a first pH at an input of the electrochemical reactor and a second pH at an output of the electrochemical reactor and the second pH is higher than the first pH.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 comprising controlling a composition of the product gas by adjusting a magnitude of the potential difference.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method according to claim 13 wherein a concentration of CO2 in the aqueous solution is below 7 mM.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein the product gas comprises CO2, CO and H2.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method according to claim 15 wherein the product gas comprises no more than 50% CO2.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method according to claim 15 wherein a molar ratio of CO to H2 in the product gas is greater than 1.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The method according to claim 15 wherein a molar ratio of CO to H2 in the product gas is less than 1.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein absorbing and chemically reacting the gaseous carbon dioxide comprises flowing the gaseous carbon dioxide through a filter wetted by the aqueous solution.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein the aqueous solution comprises a caustic alkaline solution.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein the aqueous solution comprises an enzyme that is active for promoting the chemical reaction of the carbon dioxide to yield bicarbonate and/or carbonate.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The method according to claim 21 wherein the enzyme comprises a carbonic anhydrase enzyme catalyst.

### Claim 23 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 comprising circulating the aqueous solution back to absorb and chemically react with more gaseous carbon dioxide after separating the product gas from the aqueous solution.

### Claim 24

A carbon capture method comprising:
removing carbon dioxide from a source by absorbing and chemically reacting gaseous carbon dioxide to form bicarbonate and/or carbonate in an aqueous solution;
supplying a catholyte comprising the aqueous solution at a cathode of an electrochemical reactor comprising an anode and the cathode separated by a bipolar membrane and applying a potential difference between the anode and the cathode, wherein the supplying of the catholyte at the cathode comprises supplying the aqueous solution in the absence of an additional supply of carbon dioxide gas;
electrochemically dissociating, at the bipolar membrane, water to form hydrogen ions;
transporting the hydrogen ions towards the cathode;
reacting the bicarbonate and/or carbonate ions in the aqueous solution with the hydrogen ions to form carbon dioxide gas;
electrochemically reducing the carbon dioxide gas to form a product gas; and
separating the product gas from the aqueous solution.