Methods for producing hydrocarbons, and related electrochemical cells and systems

Abstract

A method of forming at least one hydrocarbon from carbon dioxide comprises introducing steam to a first electrode of an electrochemical cell, and introducing carbon dioxide to a second electrode of the electrochemical cell. The electrochemical cell includes the first electrode, the second electrode, and an electrolyte between the first electrode and the second electrode. The second electrode comprises at least one catalyst material formulated to accelerate a carbon dioxide hydrogenation reaction to produce the at least one hydrocarbon product from the carbon dioxide. The method further comprises applying a potential difference between the first electrode and the second electrode of the electrochemical cell. Also disclosed are the electrochemical cell, and the system for producing one or more hydrocarbon product from carbon dioxide.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of forming at least one hydrocarbon from carbon dioxide, comprising: introducing steam to a first electrode of an electrochemical cell comprising:
 the first electrode;   a second electrode comprising at least one catalyst material formulated to accelerate a carbon dioxide hydrogenation reaction to produce the at least one hydrocarbon product from the carbon dioxide; and   an electrolyte between the first electrode and the second electrode;   
       introducing carbon dioxide to the second electrode of the electrochemical cell; and 
       applying a potential difference between the first electrode and the second electrode of the electrochemical cell. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein introducing the steam to the first electrode of the electrochemical cell includes introducing the steam to the first electrode of the electrochemical cell comprising the second electrode, the at least one catalyst material of the second electrode comprising at least one iron (Fe)-based catalyst material and an alkali metal promotor. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein applying a potential difference between the first electrode and the second electrode of the electrochemical cell comprises producing the at least one hydrocarbon including an alkane, an olefin, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein applying a potential difference between the first electrode and the second electrode of the electrochemical cell comprises producing a reaction product comprising:
 carbon monoxide; and   the at least one hydrocarbon in an amount of greater than about 40% by weight based on a total weight of the reaction product.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein introducing carbon dioxide to the second electrode of the electrochemical cell comprises:
 introducing the carbon dioxide to a second electrode comprising the at least one catalyst material including: FeZn/K, FeZnZr/K, FeZnMn/K, FeZnCe/K, FeZnCu/K, FeZnIn/K, Fe FeZnCo/K, FeZn/Na, FeZnZr/Na, FeZnMn/Na, FeZnCe/Na, FeZnCu/Na, FeZnIn/Na, FeZnCo/Na, or a combination thereof.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein introducing carbon dioxide to the second electrode of the electrochemical cell comprises introducing the carbon dioxide to a second electrode comprising:
 the at least one iron (Fe)-based catalyst comprising FeZnZr; and   the alkali metal promotor comprising K, Na, Cs, or a combination thereof.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein applying a potential difference between the first electrode and the second electrode of the electrochemical cell comprises applying the potential difference to the electrochemical cell when the electrochemical cell fulfills at least one of the following:
 the electrochemical cell is operated at a temperature within a range of from about 150° C. to about 650° C.,   the electrochemical cell is operated at a pressure within a range of from about 1 bar to about 20 bar, and   the electrochemical cell is operated at a current density greater than or equal to about 0.1 amperes per square centimeter (A/cm 2 ).   
     
     
         8 . An electrochemical cell, comprising:
 a first electrode formulated to facilitate an oxidation reaction of water to produce oxygen;   a second electrode formulated to facilitate a reduction reaction of carbon dioxide to produce at least one hydrocarbon, the second electrode comprising at least one catalyst material formulated to accelerate the reduction reaction of the carbon dioxide; and   an electrolyte between the first electrode and the second electrode.   
     
     
         9 . The electrochemical cell of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one catalyst material of the second electrode comprises an iron (Fe)-based catalyst material including iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), and at least one of zirconium (Zr), cerium (Ce), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), and indium (In). 
     
     
         10 . The electrochemical cell of  claim 8 , wherein the electrolyte comprises a perovskite material, a solid acid material, a polybenzimidazole material, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The electrochemical cell of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the perovskite material has a formula ABO 3-δ , wherein A comprises barium (Ba), B comprises zirconium (Zr), cerium (Ce), yttrium (Y), ytterbium (Yb) or a combination thereof, and δ is the oxygen deficit;   the solid acid material comprises a solid acid phosphate material; and   the polybenzimidazole material comprises a H 3 PO 4 -doped polybenzimidazole material.   
     
     
         12 . The electrochemical cell of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the first electrode comprises a triple conducting perovskite material, a double perovskite material, a single perovskite material, a single perovskite/perovskite composite material, or a combination thereof;   the second electrode comprises a cermet material including at least one metal and at least one perovskite; and   the electrolyte comprises a perovskite material including a yttrium- and ytterbium-doped barium-zirconate-cerate (BZCYYb), a yttrium- and ytterbium-doped barium-strontium-niobate (BSNYYb), a doped BaCeO 3 , a doped BaZrO 3 , Ba 2 (YSn)O 5.5 , Ba 3 (CaNb 2 )O 9 ), or a combination thereof.   
     
     
         13 . The electrochemical cell of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the triple conducting perovskite material comprises Pr(Co 1-x-y-z , Ni x , Mn y , Fe z )O 3-δ , wherein 0≤x≤0.9, 0≤y≤0.9, 0≤z≤0.9, and δ is an oxygen deficit; or (Pr 1-x Ln x )(Ba 7 ,Sr 1-y )(Co z ,Tn 1-z )O 5+δ , wherein Ln comprises La, Nd, Ce, Pm, Sm, Er, Gd, Dy, Ho, Yb or a combination thereof, Tn comprises Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mn, Cr, Nd or a combination thereof, 0≤x≤1, 0≤y≤1, 0≤z≤1, and δ is the oxygen deficit;   the double perovskite material comprises MBa 1-x Sr x Co 2-y Fe y O 5+δ , wherein x and y are dopant levels, δ is the oxygen deficit, and M comprises Pr, Nd, Sm or a combination thereof; or MBa 1-x Ca x Co 2 O 5+δ , wherein x is a dopant level, δ is the oxygen deficit and M comprises Pr, Nd, Sm or a combination thereof;   the single perovskite material comprises Sm 1-x Sr x CoO 3-δ  (SSC), BaZr 1-x-y-z Co x Fe y Y z O 3-δ , SrSc x Nd y Co 1-x-y O 3-δ , wherein x, y, and z are dopant levels and δ is the oxygen deficit, or a Ruddleson-Popper-type perovskite material, wherein δ is the oxygen deficit and M comprises La, Pr, Gd, Sm or a combination thereof; and   the single perovskite/perovskite composite material comprises SSC—BZCYYb.   
     
     
         14 . The electrochemical cell of  claim 12 , wherein the cermet material of the second electrode comprises a nickel/perovskite cermet material including Ni—BZCYYb, Ni—BSNYYb, Ni—BaCeO 3 , Ni—BaZrO 3 , Ni—Ba 2 (YSn)O 5.5 , Ni—Ba 3 (CaNb 2 )O 9 ), or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The electrochemical cell of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the first electrode comprises a metal, an alloy, an Aurivillius oxide or a combination thereof, the Aurivillius oxide having a general formula Bi 2 A n-1 B n O 3n+3 , wherein A comprises Sr, Ca, Pb, Ba, K, Na or a combination thereof, and B comprises Ti, Nb, Mo, Mn, Ta, Fe, W or a combination thereof;   the second electrode comprises a precious metal-solid acid cermet; and   the electrolyte comprises a solid acid material.   
     
     
         16 . The electrochemical cell of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the first electrode comprises Ni, a Ni alloy, an Aurivillius oxide having a general formula of Bi 2 Sr 2 Nb 2 MnO 12-δ , wherein δ is the oxygen deficit; and   the precious metal-solid acid cermet of the second electrode comprises Pt—CsH 2 PO 4 .   
     
     
         17 . The electrochemical cell of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the first electrode and the second electrode each independently comprises Ni, Pt, a Ni alloy, a Pt alloy, or a combination thereof; and   the electrolyte comprises a polybenzimidazole material.   
     
     
         18 . A system for producing one or more hydrocarbon from carbon dioxide, comprising:
 an electrochemical apparatus in fluid communication with a first vessel configured to contain steam and a second vessel configured to contain carbon dioxide, the electrochemical apparatus comprising:
 a housing structure configured and positioned to receive a steam stream from the first vessel and to receive a carbon dioxide stream from the second vessel; and 
 electrochemical cells within the housing structure, one or more of the electrochemical cells individually comprising:
 a first electrode; 
 a second electrode comprising at least one catalyst material formulated to accelerate a carbon dioxide hydrogenation reaction to produce the one or more hydrocarbon from the carbon dioxide, the at least one catalyst material including a perovskite-based material containing iron (Fe) and one or more of zinc (Zn), zirconium (Zr), cerium (Ce), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), and indium (In); and 
 an electrolyte between the first electrode and the second electrode. 
 
   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the second electrode comprises NiO/BZCYYb (yttrium- and ytterbium-doped barium-zirconate-cerate), and PrNi 0.5 Co 0.5 O 3-δ  (PNC55); and   the at least one catalyst material of the second electrode comprises BaFe 0.75 Zn 0.1 Zr 0.1 Y 0.1 (BFZZY).   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the electrolyte comprises a proton-conducting membrane.