# US 2024/0200212 A1 · Coated Electroneutral Porous Separators for Oxocarbon Electrolyzers

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2024/0200212 A1
- Document ID: US20240200212A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 18/582,903
- Filed: 2024-02-21
- Published: 2024-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2022-03-22
- Assignees: Dioxycle
- Applicants: Dioxycle
- Inventors: David Wakerley; Edward Luke Malins; Sarah Lamaison; Renjie Liu; Thomas A. R. Horton
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20240200212A1

## CPC

- C25B 13/02: characterised by shape or form
- C25B 3/03: Acyclic or carbocyclic hydrocarbons
- C25B 3/25: Reduction
- C25B 3/26: of carbon dioxide
- C25B 9/05: Pressure cells
- C25B 9/19: with diaphragms
- C25B 13/08: based on organic materials
- C25B 3/07: Oxygen containing compounds
- C25B 3/09: Nitrogen containing compounds
- 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)

## Abstract

Methods and systems related to oxocarbon electrolyzers are disclosed herein. A disclosed system includes an oxocarbon electrolysis reactor. The rector includes an aqueous anode area with an oxidation substrate, a gaseous cathode area with an oxocarbon species as a reduction substrate, and an electroneutral separator separating the anode area and the cathode area while allowing ionic migration between the anode area and cathode area. In specific approaches disclosed herein the electroneutral separator is a polymer having a coating, the coating is formed of an aliphatic molecule, and the coating increases a hydrophilicity of the electroneutral separator. In specific approaches disclosed herein, the electroneutral separator is a polymer having a coating, the polymer comprises aliphatic carbon chains, and the coating is an aliphatic carbon chain with one or more hydrophilic functional groups.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An oxocarbon electrolysis reactor comprising:
an aqueous anode area with an aqueous oxidation substrate;
a gaseous cathode area with an oxocarbon species as a gaseous reduction substrate; and
an electroneutral separator separating the aqueous anode area and the gaseous cathode area while allowing ionic migration between the aqueous anode area and gaseous cathode area;
wherein: (i) the electroneutral separator is a polymer having a coating; and (ii) the coating is formed of an aliphatic molecule; and (iii) the coating increases a hydrophilicity of the electroneutral separator.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The oxocarbon electrolysis reactor of claim 1, wherein:
the aliphatic molecule is selected from the group consisting of: (i) an aliphatic alcohol; (ii) an aliphatic amine; (iii) an aliphatic ether; (iv) an aliphatic acetal; and (v) an aliphatic ketal.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The oxocarbon electrolysis reactor of claim 1, wherein:
the electroneutral separator is formed of a linear aliphatic carbon chain; and
the coating is a linear aliphatic carbon chain with a hydrophilic functional group.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The oxocarbon electrolysis reactor of claim 3, wherein:
the electroneutral separator is formed of polyethylene.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The oxocarbon electrolysis reactor of claim 4, wherein:
the coating is selected from the group consisting of: (i) octadecan-1-ol; (ii) trihexylamine; (iii) 2-methylnonadecane-2-ol; (iv) poly(ethylene-co-vinyl alcohol); and (v) poly(ethylene-co-vinyl alcohol) crosslinked with glutaraldehyde.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The oxocarbon electrolysis reactor of claim 1, wherein:
the electroneutral separator is formed of one or more polymers selected from the group consisting of: polytetrafluoroethylene, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrenes, polysiloxanes, polyether sulfone, and polyacrylonitrile.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The oxocarbon electrolysis reactor of claim 1, wherein:
the electroneutral separator is ionically conductive; and
the electroneutral separator is formed by electrically insulative material.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The oxocarbon electrolysis reactor of claim 1, wherein:
the electroneutral separator is formed by a polymer; and
the electroneutral separator is electroneutral in that no charged chemicals are chemically bound into the electroneutral separator.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The oxocarbon electrolysis reactor of claim 1, further comprising:
a porous network formed by a set of pores and extending through the electroneutral separator.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The oxocarbon electrolysis reactor of claim 9, wherein:
the set of pores is a set of pores each having an average size less than one millimeter.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The oxocarbon electrolysis reactor of claim 9, further comprising:
a conductive electrolyte;
wherein the conductive electrolyte is an alkaline solution, and the conductive electrolyte extends through the electroneutral separator via the porous network.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The oxocarbon electrolysis reactor of claim 9, further comprising:
a pressure difference across the oxocarbon electrolysis reactor from the aqueous anode area to the gaseous cathode area; and
a conductive electrolyte;
wherein the conductive electrolyte extends through the electroneutral separator via the porous network and is pressed away from the aqueous anode area by the pressure difference.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The oxocarbon electrolysis reactor of claim 1, wherein:
the electroneutral separator is less than 250 microns thick where thickness is measured from the aqueous anode area to the gaseous cathode area.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The oxocarbon electrolysis reactor of claim 1, wherein:
the coating is between 0.01 wt % and 5 wt % of a solution used to coat the electroneutral separator.

### Claim 15

An oxocarbon electrolysis reactor comprising:
an aqueous anode area with an aqueous oxidation substrate;
a gaseous cathode area with an oxocarbon species as a gaseous reduction substrate; and
an electroneutral separator separating the aqueous anode area and the gaseous cathode area while allowing ionic migration between the aqueous anode area and gaseous cathode area;
wherein: (i) the electroneutral separator is a polymer having a coating; and (ii) the polymer comprises aliphatic carbon chains; and (iii) the coating is an aliphatic carbon chain with a hydrophilic functional group.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The oxocarbon electrolysis reactor of claim 15, wherein:
the aliphatic carbon chain is formed of a monomer selected from the group consisting of: (i) an aliphatic alcohol; (ii) an aliphatic amine; (iii) an aliphatic ether; (iv) an aliphatic acetal; and (v) an aliphatic ketal.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The oxocarbon electrolysis reactor of claim 15, wherein:
the coating is between 0.01 wt % and 5 wt % of a solution used to coat the electroneutral separator.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The oxocarbon electrolysis reactor of claim 15, wherein:
the electroneutral separator is formed of polyethylene.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The oxocarbon electrolysis reactor of claim 18, wherein:
the coating is selected from the group consisting of: (i) octadecan-1-ol; and (ii) trihexylamine; and (iii) 2-methylnonadecane-2-ol; and (iv) poly(ethylene-co-vinyl alcohol); and (v) poly(ethylene-co-vinyl alcohol) crosslinked with glutaraldehyde.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The oxocarbon electrolysis reactor of claim 15, wherein:
the electroneutral separator is formed of one or more polymers selected from the group consisting of: polytetrafluoroethylene, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrenes, polysiloxanes, polyether sulfone, and polyacrylonitrile.

### Claim 21 (depends on 15)

The oxocarbon electrolysis reactor of claim 15, wherein:
the electroneutral separator is ionically conductive; and
the electroneutral separator is formed by electrically insulative material.

### Claim 22 (depends on 15)

The oxocarbon electrolysis reactor of claim 15, wherein:
the electroneutral separator is formed by a polymer; and
the electroneutral separator is electroneutral in that no charged chemicals are chemically bound into the electroneutral separator.

### Claim 23 (depends on 15)

The oxocarbon electrolysis reactor of claim 15, further comprising:
a porous network formed by a set of pores and extending through the electroneutral separator.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The oxocarbon electrolysis reactor of claim 23, wherein:
the set of pores is a set of pores each having an average size less than one millimeter.

### Claim 25 (depends on 23)

The oxocarbon electrolysis reactor of claim 23, further comprising:
a conductive electrolyte;
wherein the conductive electrolyte is an alkaline solution, and the conductive electrolyte extends through the electroneutral separator via the porous network.

### Claim 26 (depends on 23)

The oxocarbon electrolysis reactor of claim 23, further comprising:
a pressure difference across the oxocarbon electrolysis reactor from the aqueous anode area to the gaseous cathode area; and
a conductive electrolyte;
wherein the conductive electrolyte extends through the electroneutral separator via the porous network and is pressed away from the aqueous anode area by the pressure difference.

### Claim 27 (depends on 15)

The oxocarbon electrolysis reactor of claim 15, wherein:
the electroneutral separator is less than 250 microns thick where thickness is measured from the aqueous anode area to the gaseous cathode area.

### Claim 28

A method of operating an oxocarbon electrolysis reactor comprising:
reducing an oxocarbon species in a gaseous cathode area;
oxidizing an oxidation substrate in an aqueous anode area;
separating the gaseous cathode area from the aqueous anode area using an electroneutral separator; and
allowing ionic migration between the aqueous anode area and gaseous cathode area across the electroneutral separator;
wherein: (i) the electroneutral separator is a polymer having a coating; and (ii) the polymer comprises aliphatic carbon chains; and (iii) the coating is an aliphatic carbon chain with a hydrophilic functional group.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

The method of operating the oxocarbon electrolysis reactor of claim 28, further comprising:
applying a solution to the electroneutral separator to form the coating, wherein the coating is between 0.01 wt % and 5 wt % of the solution.

### Claim 30 (depends on 28)

The method of operating the oxocarbon electrolysis reactor of claim 28, wherein:
the aliphatic carbon chain is formed of a monomer selected from the group consisting of: (i) an aliphatic alcohol; (ii) an aliphatic amine; (iii) an aliphatic ether; (iv) an aliphatic acetal; and (v) an aliphatic ketal.