ELECTROCHEMICAL REDUCTION DEVICE, AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING HYDROGENATED PRODUCT OF AROMATIC HYDROCARBON COMPOUND OR NITROGENATED HETEROCYCLIC AROMATIC COMPOUND

摘要

In one embodiment of the present invention, an electrolyte membrane (110) is formed from an ionomer. A reduction catalyst to be used in a reduction electrode (120) contains Pt and/or Pd. An electrode for oxygen generation use (130) contains a catalyst composed of a noble metal oxide such as RuO2 and IrO2. A generated hydrogen gas quantity measurement unit (36) measures the quantity of a hydrogen gas that passes through a pipe (31) together with an aromatic hydrocarbon compound or a nitrogenated heterocyclic aromatic compound and calculates the quantity (F1) of the generated hydrogen gas on the basis of the measurement value. A control unit (60) gradually increases the voltage between the reduction electrode (120) and the electrode for oxygen generation use (130) within a range that fulfills the requirements represented by the formulae: F1 <= F0 and VCA > (VHER - allowable potential difference) wherein VTRR represents the standard oxidization-reduction potential of the aromatic hydrocarbon compound or the nitrogenated heterocyclic aromatic compound, VCA represents the potential of the reduction electrode (120), and F0 represents the allowable upper limit of the quantity of the generated hydrogen gas.