TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The alkali metal comprises sodium such that the alkali metal salt of the carboxylic acid comprises a sodium salt of the carboxylic acid. The anolyte further comprises a quantity of the alkali metal salts of carboxylic acid. The alkali metal salt of the carboxylic acid further comprises an alkali metal acetate. The anode and/or anolyte comprise a metal comprising palladium, rhodium, nickel, platinum, iridium, or ruthenium.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INSTRUMENTATION AND TESTING - Preferred Process: The step of decarboxylating occurs within an electrolytic cell, where the saponification occurs within the same electrolytic cell. The decarboxylating occurs within an electrolytic cell, where the anolyte is within an anolyte compartment of the electrolytic cell, and the electrolytic cell further comprises a catholyte compartment housing a catholyte, where the anolyte compartment comprises an anode, the catholyte compartment comprises a cathode, and the anolyte and catholyte compartments are separated by an alkali ion conducting membrane. The alkali ion conducting membrane is a NaSICON membrane. In the method, a reaction at the cathode in the catholyte compartment produces hydrogen gas and a base. The anolyte is at a higher temperature and/or pressure than the catholyte.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The coupled radical product comprises an alkyl radical coupled to another alkyl radical or to a hydrogen radical. The biomass comprises a carbohydrate that is hydrolyzed to produce a carboxylic acid. The anolyte comprises a first solvent or a first mixture of solvents, where the catholyte comprises a second solvent or a second mixture of solvents; the first solvent or the first mixture of solvents included in the anolyte do not have to be the same as the second solvent or the second mixture of solvents included in the catholyte. The first solvent or first mixture of solvents comprises methanol. The first mixture of solvents comprises at least one G-type solvent and at least one H-type solvent. The G-type solvent comprises a solvent comprising ethylene glycol, glycerin, 1,2-dihydroxy-4-oxadodecane, 2-methyl-2-propyl-1,3-propanediol, 2-ethyl-1,3-hexanediol, 2-amino-2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, 2,3-butanediol, 3-amino-1,2-propanediol, 1,2-octanediol, cis-1,2-cyclohexanediol, trans-1,2-cyclohexanediol, cis-1,2-cyclopentanediol, 1,2-pentanediol or 1,2-hexanediol. The H-type solvent comprises a solvent comprising isopropanol, methanol, ethanol, butanol, amyl alcohol, octanol, hexane, trichloroethane, dichloroethane, methylene, dichloride, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, tetralin, decalin, monoglyme, diglyme, tetraglyme, acetone or acetaldehyde. The H-type solvent comprises a product of the decarboxylation. The alkali metal salt of the carboxylic acid is derived from a monocarboxylic acid, a dicarboxylic acid, or a polycarboxylic acid. Preferred Process: The step of converting the biomass comprises saponification, where a base is reacted with a quantity of the carboxylic acid to produce the at least one alkali metal salt of the carboxylic acid; reacting a base with a quantity of biomass to produce the at least one alkali metal salt of the carboxylic acid; extracting a lipid or lignin from the biomass; hydrolyzing the lipid or lignin to form carboxylic acid; and saponifying the carboxylic acid to produce at least one alkali metal salt of carboxylic acid. The step of converting the biomass comprises fermentation to produce a an alkali metal salt of carboxylic acid; fermenting the biomass to produce carboxylic acid; and saponifying the carboxylic acid to produce at least one alkali metal salt of carboxylic acid. The base produced from the catholyte is the same base used in a saponification reaction used to produce the at least one alkali metal salt of the carboxylic acid. The base produced from the catholyte is the same based used to react with a quantity of biomass to produce at least one alkali metal salt of a carboxylic acid. The step of decarboxylating the anolyte forms hydrogen radicals in addition to the alkyl radicals. The hydrogen radicals are formed from an alkali metal formate. The hydrogen radicals are formed from photolysis of hydrogen gas added to the anolyte compartment. The step of decarboxylating the alkali metal salt of the carboxylic acid comprises photolysis. EXAMPLE - A two compartment micro-reactor with a small gap between the ion-conducting membrane and the anode was fabricated and used in the decarboxylation process. The small (minimal) gap was chosen to create optimum mass transfer conditions in the anolyte compartment. A smooth platinum anode was used where decarboxylation occured. A sodium-select ion-conducting membrane was used between the anode and cathode compartment. A nickel cathode was used in the cathode compartment. A glass flask sealed with 3-holed rubber stoppers was used. The appropriate anolyte and catholyte reservoirs were prepared and connected to the sealed flask. Each reservoir was placed on a hot plate and thermocouples were placed in each of the reservoirs. 300 ml of Anolyte and catholyte (15 wt.% sodium hydroxide) were used. The temperature was controlled by a temperature controller to maintain the temperature of feed solutions to the anolyte, and catholyte at 40-60 degrees C. Peristaltic pumps were used to circulate the solutions at flow rate of 60-100 ml per minute. The hydrocarbon product from the anolyte was at times recovered using hexane immiscible with the starting solvent mixture. Sodium oleate was dissolved in a methanol in a reactor at a constant current density of 200 mA/cm2 until 50% of starting material was theoretically converted, where the sodium oleate was decarboxylated to give hydrocarbon products.