Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for producing hydrogen peroxide by performing coupled chemical and electrochemical reactions are disclosed. An electrochemical cell has a chemical reaction chamber configured to hydrogenate a shuttle molecule and an electrochemical chamber configured to electrochemically dissociate water to form hydrogen ions at an anode, and to reduce the hydrogen ions to atomic hydrogen at a cathode. The chemical reaction chamber and the anode chamber are separated by a metallic membrane. The metallic membrane acts as a cathode of the cell, a hydrogen-selective layer and a catalyst. The metallic membrane may comprise a layer of palladium or a palladium alloy. A layer of co-catalyst may optionally be electrodeposited on the layer of palladium or palladium alloy. An ion exchange membrane separates the metallic membrane and the anode chamber. The hydrogenated shuttle molecule may be supplied to a reactor for contacting an oxygen-containing gas to yield hydrogen peroxide.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for producing hydrogen peroxide by performing coupled chemical and electrochemical reactions are disclosed. An electrochemical cell has a chemical reaction chamber configured to hydrogenate a shuttle molecule and an electrochemical chamber configured to electrochemically dissociate water to form hydrogen ions at an anode, and to reduce the hydrogen ions to atomic hydrogen at a cathode. The chemical reaction chamber and the anode chamber are separated by a metallic membrane. The metallic membrane acts as a cathode of the cell, a hydrogen-selective layer and a catalyst. The metallic membrane may comprise a layer of palladium or a palladium alloy. A layer of co-catalyst may optionally be electrodeposited on the layer of palladium or palladium alloy. An ion exchange membrane separates the metallic membrane and the anode chamber. The hydrogenated shuttle molecule may be supplied to a reactor for contacting an oxygen-containing gas to yield hydrogen peroxide.

Abstract: A hydrogen permeable membrane comprises a dense layer of a hydrogen permeable metal having first and second faces. The first face of the dense layer has a rough surface which may be formed for example by electrodeposition of a hydrogen permeable metal such as palladium. One or more co-catalysts are provided on the rough surface. The co-catalysts may comprise thin sputtered layers. The one or more co-catalysts have an area density not exceeding 20 µg per cm2; and/or a majority of the co catalysts are in an outer portion of the rough surface, the outer portion of the rough surface being less than one half of a thickness of the rough surface defined by peaks of the rough surface. The membrane may be used in a cell to facilitate chemical reactions including hydrogenation, dehydrogenation and hydrodeoxygenation reactions.