Recebido em 13/12/12; aceito em 28/5/13; publicado na web em 17/7/13Water electrolysis is one of the simplest methods used for hydrogen production. It has the advantage of being able to produce hydrogen using only renewable energy. To expand the use of water electrolysis, it is mandatory to reduce energy consumption, cost, and maintenance of current electrolyzers, and, on the other hand, to increase their efficiency, durability, and safety. In this study, modern technologies for hydrogen production by water electrolysis have been investigated. In this article, the electrochemical fundamentals of alkaline water electrolysis are explained and the main process constraints (e.g., electrical, reaction, and transport) are analyzed. The historical background of water electrolysis is described, different technologies are compared, and main research needs for the development of water electrolysis technologies are discussed.

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Organic electrosynthesis has received great attention as a powerful green tool for synthesis, affording less waste production, less chemicals spent, and often fewer reaction steps than conventional methods. Functional group interconversion and C−C bond generation by imposition of a proper electrode potential is what lies behind organic electrosynthesis processes. Paired electrochemical reactions, indirect electrosynthesis, electrochemical microreactors, and the use of ionic liquids are some of the highlighted means that contribute to optimization of the overall process. Necessity to use specific organic solvents combined with supporting electrolytes is one of the main limitations to be overcome to make the electrochemical process more economically feasible when compared to nonelectrochemical processes. Numerous examples from the bench scale to industrial routes such as adiponitrile, substituted benzaldehydes, anthraquinone, fluorinated products, and succinic acid production are well described throughout this review.

Esta revisão examina as razões que justificam um interesse crescente da indústria química pelos processos eletrolíticos. Reveem-se as indústrias químicas, nas quais compostos orgânicos e inorgânicos são processados e descrevem-se os avanços tecnológicos mais relevantes. Inicialmente, abordam-se processos bem estabelecidos, como as indústrias cloroalcalinas de produção de alumínio, p-aminofenol, adiponitrila, etileno glicol, antraquinona, produtos perfluorados, ácido glioxílico e L-cisteína. Face à grande quantidade de informação disponível, o assunto é tratado com base científica, mas de modo bastante simplificado. Posteriormente, descrevem-se processos orgânicos e inorgânicos emergentes, nomeadamente processos eletroquímicos mediados e síntese em líquidos iónicos. Estabelecem-se paralelos entre síntese química e síntese eletroquímica. Estimula-se o interesse nos processos de eletrossíntese, particularmente em líquidos iónicos, não desmerecendo a importância das vias puramente químicas de síntese orgânica e inorgânica.This review examines the reasons for increasing interest towards electrolyses by the chemical industry, reviews the electrochemical industries as most of them now exist, and provides a status report on the key technological advances which are occurring to meet present and future needs. Classical industries like those of chloroalkali, aluminium, p-aminophenol, adiponitrile, ethylene glycol, anthraquinone, perfluorinated products, glyoxylic acid and L-cysteine are initially covered. Considering the large amount of available publications in these topics of electrochemical engineering, the covered relevant information is treated at a scientific level, although in a simplified way. Then the paper deals with emerging inorganic and organic processes, e.g. electrosynthesis in ionic liquids and mediated electrochemical processes, and finishes by assessing what the future development trend might be given the electrochemical and non electrochemical competing influences. With this approach it is hoped to stimulate the interest of chemical engineers and scientists non-specialised in electrochemical routes, and to review some cutting edge research, particularly as far as electrosynthesis in ionic liquids is concerned.

A brief analysis of the physics and effects of electrolytic gas evolution is presented. Aspects considered include bubble nucleation, growth, and detachment, enhancement of mass and heat transfer, and decrease of apparent electrical conductivity of bubble containing electrolytes. This analysis is mainly oriented to hydrogen/oxygen evolving electrodes.Comment: Accepted for publication in Brazilian Journal of Physic