Electrochemical systems and methods using metal halide to form products

Abstract

There are provided electrochemical methods and systems to form one or more organic compounds or enantiomers thereof selected from the group consisting of substituted or unsubstituted dioxane, substituted or unsubstituted dioxolane, dichloroethylether, dichloromethyl methyl ether, dichloroethyl methyl ether, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, phosgene, and combinations thereof.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A system, comprising:
 an electrochemical system comprising an anode chamber comprising an anode in contact with an anode electrolyte, wherein the anode electrolyte comprises saltwater and metal halide, wherein the anode is configured to oxidize the metal halide from a lower oxidation state to a higher oxidation state; and a cathode chamber comprising a cathode in contact with a cathode electrolyte;   a first reactor operably connected to the anode chamber and configured to react ethylene or ethane with the anode electrolyte comprising the saltwater and the metal halide in the higher oxidation state to form chloroethanol (CE) and/or trichloroacetaldehyde (TCA), and   a second reactor operably connected to the first reactor and configured to form the one or more organic compounds or enantiomers thereof selected from the group consisting of substituted or unsubstituted dioxane, substituted or unsubstituted dioxolane, dichloroethylether, dichloromethyl methyl ether, dichloroethyl methyl ether, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, phosgene, and combinations thereof, from the CE or the TCA.   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the first reactor is configured to form more than 20 wt % CE wherein the reactor is configured to provide one or more reaction conditions selected from temperature of reaction mixture between about 120-160° C.; incubation time of between about 10 min-2 hour; total halide concentration in the reaction mixture between about 6-12M, catalysis with noble metal, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the CE is formed in more than 40 wt % yield. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the first reactor is configured to form more than 20 wt % TCA wherein the reactor is configured to provide one or more reaction conditions selected from temperature of halogenation mixture between about 160-200° C.; incubation time of between about 15 min-2 hour; concentration of the metal halide in the higher oxidation state at more than 4.5M, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the TCA is formed in more than 40 wt % yield. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the saltwater comprises water comprising alkali metal ions or alkaline earth metal ions. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein total amount of chloride content in the anode electrolyte is between 6-15M. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the saltwater comprises sodium chloride and the anode electrolyte comprises metal halide in the higher oxidation state in range of 4-8M, metal halide in the lower oxidation state in range of 0.1-2M and sodium chloride in range of 1-5M. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the cathode electrolyte comprises water and the cathode is an oxygen depolarizing cathode configured to reduce oxygen and water to hydroxide ions; the cathode electrolyte comprises water and the cathode is a hydrogen gas producing cathode configured to reduce water to hydrogen gas and hydroxide ions; the cathode electrolyte comprises hydrochloric acid and the cathode is a hydrogen gas producing cathode configured to reduce hydrochloric acid to hydrogen gas; or the cathode electrolyte comprises hydrochloric acid and the cathode is an oxygen depolarizing cathode configured to react hydrochloric acid and oxygen gas to form water. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein metal ion in the metal halide is selected from the group consisting of iron, chromium, copper, tin, silver, cobalt, uranium, lead, mercury, vanadium, bismuth, titanium, ruthenium, osmium, europium, zinc, cadmium, gold, nickel, palladium, platinum, rhodium, iridium, manganese, technetium, rhenium, molybdenum, tungsten, niobium, tantalum, zirconium, hafnium, and combination thereof. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein metal ion in the metal halide is selected from the group consisting of iron, chromium, copper, and tin. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the metal halide is copper chloride. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the lower oxidation state of metal ion in the metal halide is 1+, 2+, 3+, 4+, or 5+. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the higher oxidation state of metal ion in the metal halide is 2+, 3+, 4+, 5+, or 6+. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein metal ion in the metal halide is copper that is converted from Cu +  to Cu 2+ , metal ion in the metal halide is iron that is converted from Fe 2+  to Fe 3+ , metal ion in the metal halide is tin that is converted from Sn 2+  to Sn 4+ , metal ion in the metal halide is chromium that is converted from Cr 2+  to Cr 3+ , metal ion in the metal halide is platinum that is converted from Pt 2+  to Pt 4+ , or combination thereof.