Electrochemical methods and systems for producing monosaccharides

A method of forming a monosaccharide comprising:

• providing a carbon dioxide source containing a carbon dioxide aqueous electrolyte solution;
• feeding the carbon dioxide source into a fluid flow path between and in contact with at least one pair of electrodes contained in a glycerol generating flow electrochemical cell, wherein the at least one pair of electrodes contains at least one glycerol generating catalyst;
• forming a glycerol source by converting the carbon dioxide source into glycerol in the presence of the at least one glycerol generating catalyst;
• feeding the glycerol source into a fluid flow path between and in contact with at least one pair of electrodes contained in a glyceraldehyde generating flow electrochemical cell, wherein the at least one pair of electrodes contains at least one glyceraldehyde generating catalyst;
• forming a glyceraldehyde source from the glycerol source in the presence of the at least one monosaccharide generating catalyst;
• feeding the glyceraldehyde source into a fluid flow path between and in contact with at least one pair of electrodes contained in a monosaccharide generating flow electrochemical cell, wherein the at least one pair of electrodes contains at least one monosaccharide generating catalyst;
• and
• forming an amount of the monosaccharide from the glyceraldehyde source by a condensation reaction in the presence of the at least one monosaccharide generating catalyst.

An electrochemical system for generating a monosaccharide from carbon dioxide and water comprising:

• a hydrolysis electrochemical reactor cell comprising two fuel cell chambers separated by an ion exchange membrane, a positive electrode, a negative electrode, an hydrolysis aqueous electrolyte solution, and a power source;
• a carbon dioxide source connected to the hydrolysis aqueous electrolyte solution;
• a formaldehyde generator vessel containing a fluid flow path between and in contact with at least one pair of electrodes contained in a formaldehyde generating flow electrochemical cell, wherein the at least one pair of electrodes contains at least one formaldehyde generating catalyst;
• and
• a monosaccharide generator vessel containing a fluid flow path between and in contact with at least one pair of electrodes contained in a monosaccharide generating flow electrochemical cell, wherein the at least one pair of electrodes contains at least one monosaccharide generating catalyst.