Patent ID: 9702047
Date: 2017-07-11
CPC Classifications: C25B

Claim:
1. A method of decarboxylating a carbohydrate acid in an electrochemical cell, comprising: providing an electrochemical cell having two compartments divided by a cation exchange membrane for monovalent cation transfer between the two compartments, the first compartment containing catholyte and a cathode, and the second compartment containing a carbohydrate acid, anolyte, and an anode, wherein the carbohydrate acid is at least 10% neutralized as a salt of the monovalent cation; providing an electrical current to the cell thereby producing an aldehydic carbohydrate in the anolyte and a hydroxide ion in the catholyte; inducing migration of the hydroxide ion across the cation exchange membrane from the catholyte to the anolyte, wherein the cation exchange membrane is permeable to the hydroxide ion to at least partially maintain a ratio of the monovalent cation to the carbohydrate acid; and adding a cation hydroxide to the anolyte selected from the group consisting of sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, lithium hydroxide, and ammonium hydroxide; wherein the current efficiency for the monovalent cation transfer across the cation exchange membrane is less than 90%; wherein the ratio of the monovalent cation to the carbohydrate acid maintains neutralization of the available carbohydrate acid for decarboxylation; wherein the catholyte comprises water.