Reduction of carbon dioxide to carboxylic acids, glycols, and carboxylates

A method for electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide, comprising:

• (A) introducing a liquid to a first compartment of an electrochemical cell, the first compartment including an anode;
• (B) introducing carbon dioxide to a second compartment of the electrochemical cell, the second compartment including a solution of an electrolyte, a cathode, and a homogenous heterocyclic amine catalyst, wherein each bond of the homogenous heterocyclic amine catalyst is selected from the group consisting of:
• a carbon-carbon bond, a carbon-hydrogen bond, a carbon-nitrogen bond, a carbon-oxygen bond, a carbon-sulfur bond, a nitrogen-hydrogen bond, a nitrogen-nitrogen bond, a nitrogen-oxygen bond, and an oxygen-hydrogen bond;
• (C) applying an electrical potential between the anode and the cathode sufficient for the cathode to reduce the carbon dioxide to at least a carboxylate;
• (D) acidifying the carboxylate to convert the carboxylate into a carboxylic acid;
• (E) extracting the carboxylic acid;
• and
• (F) contacting the carboxylic acid with hydrogen to form a reaction product.