Electrochemical reduction device and method for manufacturing hydride of aromatic hydrocarbon compound or nitrogen-containing heterocyclic aromatic compound

1. An electrochemical reduction device comprising:

an electrode unit including an electrolyte membrane having ionic conductivity, a reduction electrode that is provided on one side of the electrolyte membrane and that contains a reduction catalyst for hydrogenating a benzene ring of an aromatic hydrocarbon compound or a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic aromatic compound, and an oxygen evolving electrode that is provided on the other side of the electrolyte membrane;

a power control unit that applies a voltage Va between the reduction electrode and the oxygen evolving electrode so that the reduction electrode has a basic potential and the oxygen evolving electrode has a noble potential;

a hydrogen gas generation rate measurement unit that measures a generation rate F1 per unit time of a hydrogen gas generated by an electrolytic reaction of water which competes with a benzene ring hydrogenation reaction of the aromatic hydrocarbon compound or the nitrogen-containing heterocyclic aromatic compound; and

a control unit that controls the power control unit so as to gradually increase the voltage Va within a range that satisfies a relationship of F1≦F0 and V CA >V HER −(acceptable potential difference), where the potential at a reversible hydrogen electrode, the potential of the reduction electrode and the acceptable upper limit of the hydrogen gas generation rate are expressed as V HER , V CA and F0, respectively, and the acceptable potential difference is defined as a potential difference that defines an upper limit of a potential difference between V CA and V HER .

2. The electrochemical reduction device according to claim 1 , wherein the acceptable potential difference is 20 mV.

3. The electrochemical reduction device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a reference electrode that is arranged to be in contact with the electrolyte membrane and to be electrically isolated from the reduction electrode and the oxygen evolving electrode and that is held at a reference electrode potential V Ref ; and

a voltage detection unit that detects a potential difference ΔV CA between the reference electrode and the reduction electrode, wherein the control unit acquires the potential V CA of the reduction electrode based on the potential difference ΔV CA and the reference electrode potential V Ref .

4. An electrochemical reduction device comprising:

an electrode unit assembly in which a plurality of electrode units are electrically connected to one another in series, the electrode units each including an electrolyte membrane having ionic conductivity, a reduction electrode that is provided on one side of the electrolyte membrane and that contains a reduction catalyst for hydrogenating a benzene ring of an aromatic hydrocarbon compound or a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic aromatic compound, and an oxygen generating electrode that is provided on the other side of the electrolyte membrane;

a power control unit that applies a voltage V A between a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal of the electrode unit assembly so that in each electrode unit, the reduction electrode has a basic potential and the oxygen generating electrode has a noble potential;

a hydrogen gas generation rate measurement unit that measures a generation rate F1′ per unit time of a hydrogen gas generated by an electrolytic reaction of water which competes with a benzene ring hydrogenation reaction of the aromatic hydrocarbon compound or the nitrogen-containing heterocyclic aromatic compound in the whole of the plurality of electrode units; and

a control unit that controls the power control unit so as to gradually increase the voltage V A within a range that satisfies a relationship of F1′≦N×F0 and V CA >V HER −(acceptable potential difference), where the potential at a reversible hydrogen electrode, the potential of the reduction electrode, the acceptable upper limit of the hydrogen gas generation rate per electrode unit and the number of electrode units are expressed as V HER , V CA , F0 and N, respectively, and the acceptable potential difference is defined as a potential difference that defines an upper limit of a potential difference between V CA and V HER .

5. The electrochemical reduction device according to claim 4 , wherein the acceptable potential difference is 20 mV.

6. The electrochemical reduction device according to claim 4 , further comprising:

a reference electrode that is arranged to be in contact with the electrolyte membrane of any one of the electrode units included in the electrode unit assembly and to be electrically isolated from the reduction electrode and the oxygen evolving electrode of the electrode unit; and

a voltage detection unit that detects a potential difference ΔV CA between the reference electrode and the reduction electrode of the electrode unit,

wherein the control unit acquires the potential V CA of the reduction electrode of the electrode unit based on the potential difference ΔV CA and the reference electrode potential V Ref .

7. A method for manufacturing a hydride of an aromatic hydrocarbon compound or a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic aromatic compound, comprising introducing an aromatic hydrocarbon compound or a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic aromatic compound to the reduction electrode side of the electrode unit, circulating water or a humidified gas to the oxygen evolving electrode side, and hydrogenating a benzene ring of the aromatic hydrocarbon compound or the nitrogen-containing heterocyclic aromatic compound introduced to the reduction electrode side, by using the electrochemical reduction device according to claim 1 .

8. The method for manufacturing a hydride of an aromatic hydrocarbon compound or a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic aromatic compound according to claim 7 , wherein the aromatic hydrocarbon compound or the nitrogen-containing heterocyclic aromatic compound to be introduced to the reduction electrode side is introduced to the reduction electrode side in a liquid state at a reaction temperature.