PROCESS FOR CONVERTING HYDROCARBON FEEDSTOCKS WITH ELECTROLYTIC AND PHOTOELECTROCATALYTIC RECOVERY OF HALOGENS

1 . A method for converting a hydrocarbon feedstock into higher hydrocarbons, comprising:

reacting a hydrocarbon feedstock with a molecular halogen to form alkyl halides;

reacting at least a portion of the alkyl halide in the presence of a catalyst to form higher hydrocarbons and a hydrogen halide; and

converting at least a portion of the hydrogen halide into the molecular halogen via photoelectrocatalysis.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the hydrocarbon feedstock comprises natural gas.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the hydrocarbon feedstock comprises methane.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein the higher hydrocarbons comprise fuel grade hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, or a combination thereof.

5 . The method of claim 4 wherein the aromatic hydrocarbons comprise benzene, toluene, and xylene.

6 . The method of claim 1 further comprising reusing the molecular halogen obtained from converting the hydrogen halide as the molecular halogen in the reaction with the hydrocarbon feedstock.

7 . The method of claim 1 wherein the hydrogen halide is converted into the molecular halogen by neutralizing the hydrogen halide to a halide salt and electrolyzing the halide salt in a photoelctrocatalytic cell to form the molecular halogen.

8 . The method of claim 1 wherein the hydrocarbon feedstock is derived from a biomass.

9 . The method of claim 1 wherein the hydrocarbon feedstock comprises coal.

10 . The method of claim 1 wherein the hydrogen halide is converted into the molecular halogen in a photoelctrocatalytic cell to form the molecular halogen, the method further comprising feeding carbon dioxide to the photoelctrocatalytic cell and forming methanol, formic acid, or a mixture thereof via photoelectrocatalysis.

11 . The method of claim 1 wherein the hydrogen halide is converted into the molecular halogen by neutralizing the hydrogen halide to a halide salt and electrolyzing the halide salt in a photoelctrocatalytic cell to form the molecular halogen, the method further comprising feeding carbon dioxide to the photoelctrocatalytic cell and forming methanol, formic acid, or a mixture thereof via photoelectrocatalysis.

12 . The method of claim 1 wherein the photoelectrocatalysis is performed in a photoelectrocatalyic cell including an electrolyte, an anodic electrode and a cathodic electrode.

13 . The method of claim 12 wherein the anodic electrode and/or the cathodic electrode has a flat sheet-like configuration.

14 . The method of claim 12 wherein the anodic electrode and/or the cathodic electrode has a tubular configuration.

15 . The method of claim 12 wherein the anodic electrode and/or the cathodic electrode has a particulate configuration.

16 . A method for converting a hydrocarbon feedstock into methanol, comprising:

reacting a hydrocarbon feedstock with a molecular halogen to form alkyl halides;

reacting at least a portion of the alkyl halide with an alkali to form methanol and a halide salt; and

converting at least a portion of the halide salt into the molecular halogen via photoelectrocatalysis.

17 . The method of claim 16 wherein the hydrocarbon feedstock comprises natural gas.

18 . The method of claim 16 wherein the hydrocarbon feedstock comprises methane.

19 . The method of claim 16 further comprising reusing the molecular halogen obtained from converting the halide salt as the molecular halogen in the reaction with the hydrocarbon feedstock.

20 . A method for converting a hydrocarbon feedstock into alkyl amines, comprising:

reacting a hydrocarbon feedstock with a molecular halogen to form alkyl halides;

reacting at least a portion of the alkyl halides with ammonia or an ammonium species to form alkyl amines and a halide salt; and

converting at least a portion of the halide salt into the molecular halogen via photoelectrocatalysis.

21 . The method of claim 20 wherein the ammonium species comprises NaNH 2 .

22 . The method of claim 20 wherein at least a portion of the alkyl halides comprises ethyl bromide and at least a portion of the ammonium species comprises NaNH 2 .

23 . The method of claim 20 further comprising reusing the molecular halogen obtained from converting the halide salt as the molecular halogen in the reaction with the hydrocarbon feedstock.

24 . A method for converting coal into coke, comprising:

reacting coal with a molecular halogen to form halogenated coal intermediates;

reacting at least a portion of the halogenated coal intermediates in the presence of a catalyst to form coke and a hydrogen halide; and

converting at least a portion of the hydrogen halide into the molecular halogen via photoelectrocatalysis.

25 . The method of claim 24 further comprising reusing the molecular halogen obtained from converting the hydrogen halide as the molecular halogen in the reaction with the coal.

26 . The method of claim 24 wherein the hydrogen halide is converted into the molecular halogen by neutralizing the hydrogen halide to a halide salt and electrolyzing the halide salt in a photoelctrocatalytic cell to form the molecular halogen.

27 . A method for converting coal or a biomass-derived hydrocarbon feedstock into polyols, comprising:

reacting coal or a biomass-derived hydrocarbon feedstock with a molecular halogen to form alkyl halides;

reacting at least a portion of the alkyl halides with an alkali to form polyols and a halide salt; and

converting at least a portion of the halide salt into the molecular halogen via photoelectrocatalysis.

28 . The method of claim 27 further comprising reusing the molecular halogen obtained from converting the halide salt as the molecular halogen in the reaction with the coal or biomass-derived hydrocarbon feedstock.