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Oxygen is extracted from a fluid mixture feedstock by circulating a carrier fluid from an oxygen loading station to an electrochemical cell. The carrier fluid includes a carrier compound capable of reversibly binding oxygen, with oxygen binding dependent on the oxidation state of the compound. Oxyge

Oxygen is extracted from a fluid mixture feedstock by circulating a carrier fluid from an oxygen loading station to an electrochemical cell. The carrier fluid includes a carrier compound capable of reversibly binding oxygen, with oxygen binding dependent on the oxidation state of the compound. Oxygen bound to the carrier compound in a first oxidation state is released as the oxidation state is altered at the first electrode of the electrochemical cell. The carrier compound is then returned to the first oxidation state at the second electrode at the electrochemical cell. The loading station typically comprises an oxygen-permeable membrane which prevents bulk mixing of the fluid mixture and the carrier fluid. By providing an electrocatalyst capable of rapid electron transfer and having an electropotential less than that of the carrier compound, without binding or otherwise interfering with the carrier compound, low energy electron transfer between the carrier compounds and the electrodes of the electrochemical cell is achieved.

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A method for extracting molecular oxygen from a fluid mixture feedstock, said method comprising: exposing a carrier fluid to the feedstock, said carrier fluid including a carrier compound able in a first oxidation state of binding oxygen and in a second oxidation state of releasing bound oxygen; exp

A method for extracting molecular oxygen from a fluid mixture feedstock, said method comprising: exposing a carrier fluid to the feedstock, said carrier fluid including a carrier compound able in a first oxidation state of binding oxygen and in a second oxidation state of releasing bound oxygen; exposing the carrier fluid to a first electrode of an electrochemical cell using an electrocatalyst to transfer electrons between the electrode and the carrier compound, whereby the first oxidation state of the carrier compound is converted to the second oxidation state to release bound oxygen, and wherein the electrocatalyst is selected from the group consisting of substituted ferrocenes and iodide ion; and exposing the carrier fluid to a second electrode of the electrochemical cell, whereby the carrier compound is converted back to the first oxidation state so that said carrier compound is again able to bind oxygen; and wherein the carrier compound is of the formula: [Figure] where, each of R1 and R2 is independently an organic group including a nitrogen coordinated to M; each of m, n, o, and p is independently 1, 2, 3, or 4; t is 0 or 1; X is selected from the group consisting of substituted heterocyclic amines, －O－, －S－, >P－R3, and >N－R3, where R3 is hydrogen, lower alkyl, or aralkyl; and M is a transition metal ion selected from titanium, manganese, chromium, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium, and platinum.