ELECTROCHEMICAL REDUCTION OF CO2 TO FORMIC ACID

摘要

The invention relates to a method of electrochemically reducing CO2 into formic acid in a gas phase recirculation system, wherein a cycle of the method comprises the steps of: a) introducing a gas or liquid comprising a source of H into the anode compartment of a reactor cell, and introducing a gas comprising CO2 in the cathode compartment of said reactor cell, wherein the cathode compartment of the reactor cell comprises an electrocatalyst, thereby reducing CO2 to HCOOH, with generating H2 and CO as byproducts, b) removing HCOOH from the system, c) removing part of the gas obtained after removal of HCOOH in step b) from the system via an adjustable regulator valve set at a pressure which is lower than the reactor pressure, and d) supplementing the remaining part of the gas in the system obtained after step c) with carbon dioxide, and introducing the carbon dioxide supplemented gas to the reactor cell.