Electro-catalytic membrane reactors and the development of bipolar membrane technology

Membrane reactors are currently under extensive research and development. Hardly any concept, however, is realized yet in practice. Frequently, forgotten as membrane reactors are electro-catalytic membrane reactors where electrodes perform chemical conversations and membranes separate the locations of conversion. We review first a mature electromembrane technology: the chlor-alkali electrolysis. A second example is the polymer-electrolyte fuel cells (FC) as an emerging technology, which carries the potential to dramatically change society's energy infrastructure. Finally, we extensively describe a technology where the membrane itself is catalytically effective, splitting water into protons and hydroxyl ions: bipolar ion-exchange membrane technology. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.