The invention discloses a method for in-situ extracting a reduced carbon dioxide product or product mixture in an electrochemical cell, and the use of a three-compartment electrochemical cell for in-situ extraction of organic carboxylic acids such as formic acid, acetic acid, oxalic acid, glycolic acid, tartaric acid, malonic acid, propionic acid, glyoxylic acid, and/or salts thereof for commercial use.
The method of the invention comprises introducing carbon dioxide-rich absorbent into a cathode compartment of an electrochemical cell, applying an electrical potential between an anode and a cathode in the electrochemical cell sufficient for the cathode to reduce carbon dioxide into a reduced carbon dioxide product of product mixture in the carbon dioxide-rich absorbent, thereby providing a carbon dioxide-poor absorbent, collecting reduced carbon dioxide product or product mixture via in-situ extraction into an acidic environment, and wherein the anode is separated from the cathode by more than one separator.