Electrochemical reduction device and method for manufacturing hydride of aromatic compound

Abstract

An electrochemical reduction device comprising: an electrode unit configured to include an electrolyte membrane, a reduction electrode that contains a reduction catalyst for hydrogenating at least one benzene ring of an aromatic compound, and an oxygen evolving electrode; a power control unit that applies a voltage Va between the reduction electrode and the oxygen evolving electrode; a concentration measurement unit that measures a concentration of an aromatic compound to be supplied to the reduction electrode; and a raw material supply amount adjustment unit that adjusts the amount of an organic liquid including an aromatic compound to be supplied to the reduction electrode per unit time based on the concentration measured by the concentration measurement unit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electrochemical reduction device comprising:
 an electrode unit configured to include an electrolyte membrane having ionic conductivity, a reduction electrode that is provided on one side of the electrolyte membrane and that contains a reduction catalyst for hydrogenating at least one benzene ring of an aromatic compound, and an oxygen evolving electrode that is provided on the other side of the electrolyte membrane;   a power control unit that applies a voltage Va between the reduction electrode and the oxygen evolving electrode;   a concentration measurement unit that measures a concentration of an aromatic compound to be supplied to the reduction electrode; and   a raw material supply amount adjustment unit that adjusts the amount of an organic liquid including an aromatic compound to be supplied to the reduction electrode per unit time based on the concentration of the aromatic compound measured by the concentration measurement unit.   
     
     
         2 . The electrochemical reduction device according to  claim 1 , wherein the raw material supply amount adjustment unit increases the amount of the organic liquid to be supplied to the reduction electrode when the concentration of the aromatic compound is decreased. 
     
     
         3 . An electrochemical reduction device comprising:
 a plurality of electrode units configured to include an electrolyte membrane having ionic conductivity, a reduction electrode that is provided on one side of the electrolyte membrane and that contains a reduction catalyst for hydrogenating at least one benzene ring of an aromatic compound, and an oxygen evolving electrode that is provided on the other side of the electrolyte membrane;   a power control unit that applies a voltage Va (i) (here, i is a sign for distinguishing individual electrode units, and the same as the following) between the oxygen evolving electrode and the reduction electrode of each of the electrode units;   a raw material supply device that allows the aromatic compound to be passed through the reduction electrodes of the respective electrode units in order;   a concentration measurement unit that measures a concentration M (i) of the aromatic compound to be supplied to the reduction electrode of each of the electrode units;   a raw material supply amount adjustment unit that adjusts the amount of the aromatic compound to be supplied to each of the reduction electrodes per unit time according to the concentration M (i) of each of the electrode units until the concentration M (i) reaches a concentration lower limit value set for each of the electrode units; and   a control unit that transfers the organic liquid including the aromatic compound to the electrode units of the downstream side and then progresses each of the hydrogenations when the concentration M (i) reaches the concentration lower limit value set for each of the electrode units.   
     
     
         4 . The electrochemical reduction device according to  claim 3 , wherein the amount of the organic liquid to be supplied to each of the reduction electrode per unit time set to the electrode units of the downstream side is higher than the amount of the aromatic compound to be supplied to each of the reduction electrode per unit time set in the electrode units of the upstream side. 
     
     
         5 . A method for manufacturing a hydride of an aromatic compound, the method comprising:
 introducing an aromatic compound to the reduction electrode side of the electrode unit;   circulating water or a humidified gas to the oxygen evolving electrode side; and   hydrogenating at least one benzene ring of the aromatic compound introduced to the reduction electrode side, by using the electrochemical reduction device according to  claim 1 .   
     
     
         6 . The method for manufacturing a hydride of an aromatic compound according to  claim 5 , wherein the aromatic compound to be introduced to the reduction electrode side is introduced to the reduction electrode side in a liquid state at a reaction temperature.