THE ALUMINUM/OXYGEN ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL: A NOVEL APPROACH TO CHEMICAL CONVERSION AND ENERGY STORAGE

Abstract

The highly reactive superoxide (O2-) is produced during the galvanostatic discharge of metal/O2 electrochemical cells. In combination with high energy density metal anodes, metal/O2 batteries provide exceptional energy density capacity. By properly selecting a catalytic electrolyte for the cell and exploiting the nucleophilic properties of the superoxide, we demonstrate the ability to deploy the system for energy production and low-value chemicals upgrade/conversion. The examined Al/O2 electrochemical system uses Al as the anode and an imidazolium-based ionic liquid/AlCl3 salt electrolyte. Compared to other high energy density metals, Al is more abundant, inherently safer to handle and has higher volumetric capacity. The selected electrolyte has been shown to complex with thermodynamically stable chemicals and catalyze their conversion. Herein we report an Al/O2+CO2 electrochemical cell with the ability to capture and convert CO2 to useful C2 species, oxalate, while enhancing the discharge capacity of the cell. We, also, report the deployment of the Al/O2 electrochemical cell to oligomerize, isomerize and carboxylate hydrocarbon feedstocks, providing an alternative to the classical energy-intensive hydrocarbon refining and fuel producing processes.