ELECTROCHEMICAL REDUCTION DEVICE AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCING PRODUCT OF HYDROGENATION OF AROMATIC HYDROCARBON COMPOUND OR NITROGENOUS HETEROCYCLIC AROMATIC COMPOUND

摘要

In an aspect of the present invention, an electrolyte membrane 110 is formed by an ionomer. A reduction catalyst to be used in a reduction electrode 120 contains at least one of Pt and Pd. An oxygen evolving electrode 130 contains a catalyst based on a noble metal oxide such as RuO 2 or IrO 2 . A hydrogen gas generation amount measuring unit 36 measures an amount of the hydrogen gas, circulating through piping 31 along with an aromatic hydrocarbon compound or a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic aromatic compound, so that a hydrogen gas generation amount F1 is calculated based on the measured amount. When the standard redox potential V TRR of an aromatic hydrocarbon compound or a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compound is represented by V TRR , a potential in the reduction electrode 120 by V CA , and an acceptable upper limit of a hydrogen gas generation amount by F0, the voltage between the reduction electrode 120 and the oxygen evolving electrode 130 is gradually increased within a range of F1 ‰¤ F0 and V CA > V HER - Acceptable Potential Difference; and when F1 > F0, electrode reactions are stopped.