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A method and apparatus for the generation and collection of an aqueous peracid solution at the cathode of a PEM electrolyzer. The electrochemical process introduces carboxylic acid (such as distilled table vinegar, lactic acid, citric acid or combinations) to the anode and a source of oxygen to the

A method and apparatus for the generation and collection of an aqueous peracid solution at the cathode of a PEM electrolyzer. The electrochemical process introduces carboxylic acid (such as distilled table vinegar, lactic acid, citric acid or combinations) to the anode and a source of oxygen to the cathode. The PEM electrolyzer has a gas diffusion cathode having a cathodic electrocatalyst that is capable of hydrogen peroxide generation. The peracid solution is generated at the gas diffusion cathode and the solution is very pure and may be used for disinfecting or sterilizing various items or solutions. In a second embodiment, the carboxylic acid may be provided directly to the cathode, such as in the form of an acid vapor.

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1. A method for electrochemical synthesis of a peracid in an electrochemical cell having an ionically conducting membrane in intimate contact between an anode and a gas diffusion cathode, the method comprising:supplying an aqueous organic acid solution to the anode; supplying a source of oxygen to t

1. A method for electrochemical synthesis of a peracid in an electrochemical cell having an ionically conducting membrane in intimate contact between an anode and a gas diffusion cathode, the method comprising:supplying an aqueous organic acid solution to the anode; supplying a source of oxygen to the cathode; imposing an electrical potential between the anode and cathode; and forming the peracid at the cathode. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:transporting the aqueous organic acid solution through the ionically conducting membrane to the gas diffusion cathode. 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:withdrawing the peracid from the cathode. 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:reducing the oxygen in the gas diffusion cathode to produce hydrogen peroxide and the peracid. 5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:oxidizing water from the aqueous organic acid solution at the anode to produce protons. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the gas diffusion cathode includes a gas diffusion layer and a cathodic catalyst layer, wherein the cathodic catalyst layer contacts the ionically conducting membrane.7. The method of claim 6, wherein the gas diffusion layer includes hydrophobic pathways and hydrophilic pathways therethrough.8. The method of claim 7, wherein the gas diffusion layer is comprised of carbon cloth or carbon paper fiber impregnated with a sintered mass derived from fine carbon powder and a polytetrafluoroethylene emulsion, and wherein the carbon powder provides the hydrophilic pathways and the polytetrafluoroethylene provides the hydrophobic pathways.9. The method of claim 6, wherein the cathodic catalyst layer comprises a cation exchange polymer, polytetrafluoroethylene polymer and a metal selected from cobalt, nickel, platinum, palladium, gold, iridium or mixtures thereof.10. The method of claim 6, wherein the cathodic catalyst layer comprises carbon-supported pyrolyzed cobalt porphyrin.11. The method of claim 6, wherein the cathodic catalyst layer consists essentially of at least one binder and a form of carbon.12. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one binder is selected from polytetrafluoroethylene, a perfluoronated sulfonic acid polymer, and combinations thereof.13. The method of claim 11, wherein the form of carbon is selected from carbon and graphite.14. The method of claim 11, wherein the form of carbon has a surface area greater than 80 square meters per gram.15. The method of claim 6, wherein the gas diffusion layer comprises carbon cloth or carbon paper fiber impregnated with a carbon-supported pyrolyzed cobalt porphyrin catalyst.16. The method of claim 1, wherein the cathodic catalyst layer comprises a cation exchange polymer, polytetrafluoroethylene polymer and a carbon-supported pyrolyzed cobalt-porphyrin.17. The method of claim 1, wherein the anode comprises a substrate selected from porous titanium, titanium suboxides, platinum, tungsten, tantalum, hafnium and niobium.18. The method of claim 1, wherein the anode comprises an anodic catalyst selected from ruthenium dioxide, platinum-tungsten alloys or mixtures, glassy carbon, platinum, and combinations thereof.19. The method of claim 18, wherein the anodic catalyst evolves oxygen that is substantially free of ozone.20. The method of claim 1, wherein the ionically conducting membrane is a cation exchange membrane.21. The method of claim 20, wherein the cation exchange membrane comprises a perfluoronated sulfonic acid polymer.22. The method of claim 1, wherein the ionically conducting membrane is bonded to the gas diffusion cathode.23. The method of claim 1, further comprising:operating the electrochemical cell at a current density greater than 1 Ampere per square centimeter. 24. The method of claim 1, further comprising:operating the electrochemical cell at a current density greater than 0.2 Ampere per square centimeter. 25. An apparatus comprising:an electrochemical cell having a cation conducting membrane in intimate contact between an anode and a cathodic catalyst layer of a gas diffusion cathode, an aqueous organic acid solution in communication with the anode; and a source of oxygen in communication with the gas diffusion cathode, wherein the organic acid is transformed to a peracid at the cathode. 26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the gas diffusion cathode comprises a gas diffusion layer having hydrophobic pathways and hydrophilic pathways therethrough.27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the gas diffusion layer is comprised of carbon cloth or carbon paper fiber impregnated with a sintered mass derived from fine carbon powder and a polytetrafluoroethylene emulsion.28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the cathodic catalyst layer comprises a cation exchange polymer, polytetrafluoroethylene polymer and a metal selected from cobalt, nickel, platinum, palladium, gold, iridium or mixtures thereof.29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the gas diffusion cathode comprises a gas diffusion layer including carbon cloth or carbon paper fiber impregnated with a carbon-supported pyrolyzed cobalt porphyrin catalyst.30. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the cathodic catalyst layer consists essentially of at least one binder and a form of carbon.31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the at least one binder is selected from polytetrafluoroethylene, a perfluoronated sulfonic acid polymer, and combinations thereof.32. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the form of carbon is selected from carbon and graphite.33. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the form of carbon has a surface area greater than 80 square meters per gram.34. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the form of carbon has a surface area greater than 200 square meters per gram.35. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the form of carbon has a surface area greater than 1000 square meters per gram.36. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the cathodic catalyst layer comprises carbon-supported pyrolyzed cobalt porphyrin.37. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the cathodic catalyst layer comprises a cation exchange polymer, polytetrafluoroethylene polymer and a carbon-supported pyrolyzed cobalt-porphyrin.38. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the anode comprises a substrate selected from porous titanium, titanium suboxides, platinum, tungsten, tantalum, hafnium and niobium.39. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the anode comprises an anodic catalyst selected from ruthenium dioxide, platinum-tungsten alloys or mixtures, glassy carbon, platinum, and combinations thereof.40. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the cation conducting membrane comprises a perfluoronated sulfonic acid polymer.41. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the cathodic catalyst layer is bonded to the cation conducting membrane.42. A method for electrochemical synthesis of a peracid in an electrochemical cell having an ionically conducting membrane in intimate contact between an anode and a gas diffusion cathode, the method comprising:supplying an organic acid vapor and a source of oxygen gas to the cathode; supplying water to the anode; imposing an electrical potential between the anode and cathode; and forming the peracid at the cathode. 43. The method of claim 42, further comprising:transporting the organic acid as a vapor with the oxygen source to the gas diffusion cathode. 44. The method of claim 42, further comprising:withdrawing the peracid from the cathode. 45. The method of claim 42, further comprising:reducing the oxygen in the gas diffusion cathode to produce hydrogen peroxide and the peracid. 46. The method of claim 45, further comprising:oxidizing the water at the anode to produce protons. 47. The method of claim 42, wherein the gas diffusion cathode includes a gas diffusion layer and a cathodic catalyst layer, wherein the cathodic catalyst layer contacts the ionically conducting membrane.48. The method of claim 47, wherein the gas diffusion layer includes hydrophobic pathways and hydrophilic pathways therethrough.49. The method of claim 48, wherein the gas diffusion layer is comprised of carbon cloth or carbon paper fiber impregnated with a sintered mass derived from fine carbon powder and a polytetrafluoroethylene emulsion, and wherein the carbon powder provides the hydrophilic pathways and the polytetrafluoroethylene provides the hydrophobic pathways.50. The method of claim 47, wherein the cathodic catalyst layer comprises a cation exchange polymer, polytetrafluoroethylene polymer and a metal selected from cobalt, nickel, platinum, palladium, gold, iridium or mixtures thereof.51. The method of claim 47, wherein the cathodic catalyst layer comprises carbon-supported pyrolyzed cobalt porphyrin.52. The method of claim 47, wherein the gas diffusion layer comprises carbon cloth or carbon paper fiber impregnated with a carbon-supported pyrolyzed cobalt porphyrin catalyst.53. The method of claim 52, wherein the cathodic catalyst layer comprises a cation exchange polymer, polytetrafluoroethylene polymer and a carbon-supported pyrolyzed cobalt-porphyrin.54. The method of claim 52, wherein the anode comprises a substrate selected from porous titanium, titanium suboxides, platinum, tungsten, tantalum, hafnium and niobium.55. The method of claim 52, wherein the anode comprises an anodic catalyst selected from ruthenium dioxide, platinum-tungsten alloys or mixtures, glassy carbon, platinum, and combinations thereof.56. The method of claim 42, wherein the ionically conducting membrane is a cation exchange membrane.57. The method of claim 56, wherein the cation exchange membrane comprises a perfluoronated sulfonic acid polymer.58. The method of claim 42, wherein the ionically conducting membrane is bonded to the gas diffusion cathode.59. The method of claim 42, further comprising:operating the electrochemical cell at a current density greater than 1 Ampere per square centimeter. 60. The method of claim 42, further comprising:operating the electrochemical cell at a current density greater than 0.2 Ampere per square centimeter. 61. An apparatus comprising:an electrochemical cell having a cation conducting membrane in intimate contact between an anode and a cathodic catalyst layer of a gas diffusion cathode, a source of water in communication with the anode; and a source of oxygen gas and an organic acid vapor in communication with the gas diffusion cathode. 62. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the gas diffusion cathode comprises a gas diffusion layer having hydrophobic pathways and hydrophilic pathways therethrough.63. The apparatus of claim 62, wherein the gas diffusion layer is comprised of carbon cloth or carbon paper fiber impregnated with a sintered mass derived from fine carbon powder and a polytetrafluoroethylene emulsion.64. The apparatus of claim 62, wherein the gas diffusion cathode comprises a gas diffusion layer including carbon cloth or carbon paper fiber impregnated with a carbon-supported pyrolyzed cobalt porphyrin catalyst.65. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the cathodic catalyst layer comprises a cation exchange polymer, polytetrafluoroethylene polymer and a metal selected from cobalt, nickel, platinum, palladium, gold, iridium or mixtures thereof.66. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the cathodic catalyst layer comprises carbon-supported pyrolyzed cobalt porphyrin.67. The method of claim 61, wherein the cathodic catalyst layer consists essentially of at least one binder and a form of carbon.68. The method of claim 67, wherein the at least one binder is selected from polytetrafluoroethylene, a perfluoronated sulfonic acid polymer, and combinations thereof.69. The method of claim 67, wherein the form of carbon is selected from carbon and graphite.70. The method of claim 67, wherein the form of carbon has a surface area greater than 200 square meters per gram.71. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the cathodic catalyst layer comprises a cation exchange polymer, polytetrafluoroethylene polymer and a carbon-supported pyrolyzed cobalt-porphyrin.72. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the anode comprises a substrate selected from porous titanium, titanium suboxides, platinum, tungsten, tantalum, hafnium and niobium.73. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the anode comprises an anodic catalyst selected from ruthenium dioxide, platinum-tungsten alloys or mixtures, glassy carbon, platinum, and combinations thereof.74. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the cation conducting membrane comprises a perfluoronated sulfonic acid polymer.75. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the cathodic catalyst layer is bonded to the cation conducting membrane.