Methods and apparatus for performing chemical and electrochemical reactions

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods for performing coupled chemical and electrochemical reactions are disclosed. An electrochemical cell has a first reaction chamber configured to perform a chemical reaction and an anode chamber configured to perform an electrochemical reaction. The first reaction chamber and the anode chamber are separated by a first membrane. The first membrane acts as a cathode of the cell, a hydrogen-selective layer and a catalyst. The first membrane may comprise a layer of palladium or a palladium alloy. An ion exchange membrane separates the first membrane and the anode chamber. The chemical and electrochemical reactions may respectively be hydrogenation and dehydrogenation reactions.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electrochemical cell comprising:
 a first reaction chamber;   an anode chamber;   an anode exposed in the anode chamber;   a first membrane having a non-porous hydrogen selective layer between the first reaction chamber and the anode chamber, the first membrane being adapted to electrochemically reduce a hydrogen ion to a hydrogen atom and to block the hydrogen ion from diffusing through the first membrane and to selectively allow passage of the hydrogen atom to react with a first reactant in the first reaction chamber; and   an ion exchange membrane separating the first membrane and the anode chamber.   
     
     
         2 . The electrochemical cell of  claim 1 , wherein the non-porous hydrogen selective layer comprises a dense metallic hydrogen selective layer. 
     
     
         3 . The electrochemical cell of  claim 2 , wherein the non-porous hydrogen selective layer comprises a layer of palladium or palladium alloy. 
     
     
         4 . The electrochemical cell of  claim 3 , wherein the palladium alloy is selected from the group consisting of: Pd—Ag, Pd—Sn, Pd—Au, Pd—Pb, Pd—B, Pd—Pt, Pd—Rh, Pd—Ni and Pd—Cu. 
     
     
         5 . The electrochemical cell of  claim 1  wherein the non-porous hydrogen selective layer comprises a hydrogen permeable metal. 
     
     
         6 . The electrochemical cell of  claim 5 , wherein the hydrogen permeable metal is selected from the group consisting of: niobium, vanadium and tantalum. 
     
     
         7 . The electrochemical cell of  claim 1 , wherein the first reaction chamber comprises a first catalyst operable to promote a hydrogenation reaction. 
     
     
         8 . The electrochemical cell of  claim 1 , comprising the first reactant in the first reaction chamber, the first reactant dissolved in a first solvent, wherein the first solvent is an organic solvent or an aqueous solvent. 
     
     
         9 . The electrochemical cell of  claim 1 , wherein the anode chamber comprises a second catalyst operable to promote a dehydrogenation reaction. 
     
     
         10 . The electrochemical cell of  claim 9 , wherein the dehydrogenation reaction comprises oxidizing a second reactant to form an oxidized product and one or more hydrogen ions. 
     
     
         11 . The electrochemical cell of  claim 10 , wherein the second reactant is dissolved in a second solvent, the second solvent being an aqueous solvent or a protic solvent. 
     
     
         12 . The electrochemical cell of  claim 1 , wherein the first membrane further comprises a layer of catalyst applied on a first surface of the non-porous hydrogen selective layer, the first surface being exposed to the first reaction chamber. 
     
     
         13 . The electrochemical cell of  claim 1 , wherein the first membrane and the ion exchange membrane are in contact with one another. 
     
     
         14 . The electrochemical cell of  claim 1 , comprising:
 an intermediate chamber positioned between the first reaction chamber and the anode chamber, the ion exchange membrane separating the intermediate chamber and the anode chamber.   
     
     
         15 . The electrochemical cell of  claim 14 , wherein the intermediate chamber contains a third solvent, wherein the third solvent is an aqueous solvent or a protic solvent. 
     
     
         16 . The electrochemical cell of  claim 15 , wherein the third solvent is different from a second solvent contained in the anode chamber. 
     
     
         17 . The electrochemical cell of  claim 1 , wherein the first membrane comprises a porous support layer immediately adjacent to one or both of the first surface and a second surface of the hydrogen selective layer. 
     
     
         18 . The electrochemical cell of  claim 1 , wherein the first membrane consists of the hydrogen selective layer. 
     
     
         19 . The electrochemical cell of  claim 1 , comprising the first reactant wherein the first reactant comprises an unsaturated organic compound. 
     
     
         20 . The electrochemical cell of  claim 1  comprising a second reactant in the anode chamber, wherein the second reactant is an organic compound.