Irabien Broader contextClimate change mitigation and transition to energy systems less dependent on fossil fuels are great challenges in the 21 st century. Converting carbon dioxide into useful products (the so-called Carbon Capture and Utilisation, CCU) is an attractive strategy that can complement Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). Particularly, the CO 2 valorisation by electrochemical routes is receiving increasing attention as a way to obtain chemicals with added-value and as a promising option to chemically store renewable energy from intermittent sources like solar or wind, thus reducing our reliance on fossil fuels. On the other hand, ionic liquids (ILs) are a family of compounds with unique properties that have led to their consideration as interesting alternative, more effective solvents in many applications, including in electrochemistry. Therefore, the growing interest in the electrochemical valorisation of CO 2 has resulted in different innovative attempts, including the use of ILs in order to improve the performance of these electrochemical approaches. This review aims to specifically address the use of ILs in the electrochemical process of CO 2 valorisation, offering a complete overview of the state-of-the-art to both inform readers and encourage further research efforts in this challenging field. Abstract 11The development of electrochemical processes for using captured CO 2 in the production 12 of valuable compounds appears as an attractive alternative to recycle CO 2 and, at the 13 same time, to store electricity from intermittent renewable sources. Among the different 14 innovative attempts that are being investigated to improve these processes, the 15 application of ionic liquids (ILs) has received a growing attention in recent years. This 16 paper presents a unified discussion of the significant work that involves the utilisation 17 of ILs for the valorisation of CO 2 by means of electrochemical routes. We discuss 18 studies in which CO 2 is used as one of the reactants to electrosynthesise value-added 19 products, among which dimethyl carbonate has been the focus of particular attention in 20 the literature. Approaches based on the electrochemical reduction of CO 2 to convert it 21 into products without the use of other carbon-based reactants are also reviewed, 22 highlighting the remarkable improvements that the use of ILs has allowed in the CO 2 2 electroreduction to CO. The review emphasises on different aspects related with process 24 design, including the nature of ILs anions and cations that have been used, the working 25 conditions, the electrocatalytic materials, the electrode configurations, or the design of 26 electrochemical cells, as well as discussing the most relevant observations, results and 27 figures of merit that the participation of ILs has allowed to achieve in these processes. 28 Several conclusions are finally proposed to highlight crucial challenges and 29 recommendations for future research in this area.30 31 32 42to phase out fossil fuels in heat and power producti...

Climate Change is among the greatest challenges for humankind in the 21 st century. Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) allows the production of value-added chemicals from CO 2 , reducing at the same time the undesirable effects of global warming. Among the available methods for CO 2 utilisation, the electrochemical reduction appears as a promising technological solution to store intermittent renewable energy in the form of chemical bonds, leading to valuable chemicals such as formic acid, methanol or ethane, which can be put back into the market. The application of electrochemical membrane reactors (ecMRs) for the valorisation of CO 2 allows the separation of the catholyte and anolyte compartments, leading to an enhanced separation of reaction products and avoiding their re-oxidation. Among these membrane-based reactors, the utilisation of Membrane Electrode Assemblies (MEAs), where the cathode and anode are coupled with a conductive membrane, are gaining importance. Besides, Gas Diffusion Electrodes (GDEs) are able to reduce mass transfer limitations and therefore, enhanced efficiencies in the process of CO 2 electroreduction. Accordingly, the aim of the present review is to compile the literature on the application of membrane reactors for CO 2 electroreduction, paying special attention to the type of membrane, reactor configuration and catalytic material in the electrochemical reactor.

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BACKGROUND The ionic liquid three phase partitioning (ILTPP) technique is a promising alternative to conventional processing technologies for protein separation and purification since it allows protein recovery at the liquid–liquid interface. In previous work, ILTPP has been developed with the BmimBF4/NaH2PO4 system for lactoferrin recovery, a bovine whey protein with important nutraceutical properties. However, BmimBF4 may suffer from hydrolysis when it is in contact with water, so the selection of an alternative ionic liquid with similar results regarding lactoferrin recovery should be sought. RESULTS The system based on BmimTfO and phosphate is selected as the most suitable since it combines relatively high LF recoveries at the liquid–liquid interface (83–99%) and chemical stability. The highest LF recoveries occur at moderate acidic pH (3.1–4.0), which may also be improved at relatively low protein concentrations. The process selectivity with respect to bovine serum albumin (another whey protein) varies from 1.1 to 3.0, depending on experimental conditions. CONCLUSION ILTPP is a promising technique to recover the protein fraction from bovine whey or to enrich specific proteins such as lactoferrin, so ILTPP could replace alternative techniques such as membranes. The risk of hydrolysis associated with previous ionic liquid ILTPP systems has been successfully overcome. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry

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