Patent ID: 7909980

Claim:
A hydrogen production process by electrochemical means in a cell which comprises at least one anodic chamber with an anode and at least one cathodic chamber with a cathode, in which the two chambers are separated by an ion-exchange membrane, characterized in that: i) said anodic chamber contains an aqueous anodic solution which comprises the Fe +2 ion, and this aqueous solution is adjusted to a pH less than or equal to 5; ii) a sacrificial substance which is consumed by electrochemical oxidation selected from ethanol, oxalic acid, acetic acid, formic acid, acetone, benzaldehyde and aniline, or mixtures thereof is added to said anodic chamber; iii) the anodic solution is irradiated with ultraviolet light and/or visible light in said anodic chamber; iv) the cathodic chamber contains an aqueous cathodic solution which has a proton concentration equal to or exceeding 10 −3 M; and v) electric current is fed between the anodic chamber and the cathodic chamber separated by said membrane, which membrane is a proton-selective ion-exchange membrane impermeable to the iron and to the sacrificial substance, wherein the proton-selective ion-exchange membrane has a Fe (2+/3+) /H + factor of less than 0.05, and wherein the following reactions (2) - (6) take place in said anodic chamber: Cathode: H + +e − →½H 2 (1) Anode: Fe 2+ →Fe 3+ +e − (2) Fe 3+ +H 2 O+hv→Fe 2+ +OH.+H + (3) R +OH.→.ROH (4) .ROH+OH.→R═O+H 2 O (5) R═O+OH.→→CO 2 +H 2 O (6) in which R represents the sacrificial substance which is oxidized in successive steps to CO 2 and H 2 O.