Endergonic Hydrogenation at Ambient Conditions Using an Electrochemical Membrane Reactor

Here, we determine how the hydrogen loading (x) of an electrochemical palladium membrane reactor (ePMR) varies with electrochemical conditions (e.g., applied current density, electrolyte concentration). We detail how x influences the thermodynamic driving force of an ePMR. These studies are accomplished by measuring the fugacity (P) of hydrogen desorbing from the palladium–hydrogen membrane and subsequently relating P to pressure–composition isotherms to determine x. We find that x increases with both applied current density and electrolyte concentration, but plateaus at a loading of x ≅ 0.92 in 1.0 M H2SO4 at −200 mA·cm–2. The validity of the fugacity measurements is supported experimentally and computationally by: (a) electrochemical hydrogen permeation studies; and (b) a palladium–hydrogen porous flow finite element analysis (FEA) model. Both (a) and (b) agree with the fugacity measurements on the following x-dependent properties of the palladium–hydrogen system during electrolysis: (i) the onset for spontaneous hydrogen desorption; (ii) the point of steady-state hydrogen loading; and (iii) the function describing hydrogen desorption between (i) and (ii). We proceed to detail how x defines the free energy of palladium–hydrogen alloy formation (ΔG(x)PdH), which is a descriptor for the thermodynamic driving force of hydrogenation at the PdH x surface of an ePMR. A maximum value ΔG PdH of 11 kJ·mol–1 is observed, suggesting that an ePMR is capable of driving endergonic hydrogenation reactions. We empirically demonstrate this capability by reducing carbon dioxide to formate (ΔG CO2/HCO2H = 3.4 kJ·mol–1) at ambient conditions and neutral pH.