| abstract |
An oxalate salt from which oxalic acid may be produced is prepared by the cationic reduction of carbon dioxide in an electrolytic cell wherein the anode and cathode compartments are separated by a porous membrane and the catholyte is an organic solvent. Tetraethylammonium perchlorate, tetraethylammonium bromide, tetrabutylammonium perchlorate, tetrabutylammonium iodide and tetraethylammonium p-toluenesulfonate are the preferred solutes for the catholyte. Coulombic yields as high as 75 percent are obtained where the anolyte is the same electrolyte and solvent as the catholyte while yields as high as 97 percent of sodium oxalate are obtained when aqueous solutions of sodium salts are used as the anolyte. |