Electrocatalytic method and apparatus for the simultaneous conversion of methane and co2 to methanol through an electrochemical reactor operating at ordinary temperatures and pressures, including ambient ones

Electrocatalytic apparatus for the simultaneous conversion of methane and CO2 into methanol via an elctrochemical reactor operating at ambient temperature and pressure, said electrochemical reactor simultaneously converts CO2 to methanol by surficial catalytic reaction on the cathode, and methane to methanol by surficial catalytic reaction on the anode. The electrochemical reactor futher works with an electrolyte consisting of electrolytic complexes of water-soluable transition metals and small molecules as co-catalyst of the electrocatalytic reactions and facilitator of ionic transfer and solubility of CO2 and CH4 molecules in the electrolyte. The electrochemical reactor is further equipped with zero-gap membrane electrocatalytic electrode assemlics, the cathode and anode comprising two electrocatalytic mesoporous surfaces and being tubular and coaxial, delineating two regions, which are separated one from the other by an ion exchange membrane (27). The tubular electrodes pack vertically together, the external gaps being filled by an insulating material. The packed electrodes are electronically connected to the power source in a parallel electrical circuit.