Use of electrically conductive oil-in-water microemulsions based on perfluorinated compounds as catholytes in electrochemical processes

• Main Authors: VISCA, MARIO, TENTORIO, ANGELO, CHITTOFRATI, ALBA
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 26.07.1995
• Edition: 6
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F,C08G; APPARATUS THEREFOR; CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOIDCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON; ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTIONOF COMPOUNDS OR NON-METALS; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; MEASURING; METALLURGY; ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; PHYSICS; TESTING; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS; TRANSPORTING; WORKING-UP

An electrochemical process is described wherein a gaseous substance is reduced at the cathode and in which microemulsions of the oil-in-water (o/w) type are utilized as catholytes, said microemulsions showing electric ion transfer and interphase matter transfer capacity. The oil phase of said microemulsion consists of perfluoropolyethers having perfluoroalkyl end groups or hydrophilic functional end groups or of perfluorocarbons and said microemulsions are obtained by using perfluorinated surfactants, in particular those having a perfluoroalkylpolyether structure,and/or by using an alcohol as cosurfactant.