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DOE OSTI · 1877098

Engineering Catalyst–Electrolyte Microenvironments to Optimize the Activity and Selectivity for the Electrochemical Reduction of CO 2 on Cu and Ag

Bui, Justin C.·Kim, Chanyeon·King, Alex J.·Romiluyi, Oyinkansola·Kusoglu, Ahmet·Weber, Adam Z.·Bell, Alexis T.
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Abstract

We report the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO 2 R) driven by renewably generated electricity (e.g., solar and wind) offers a promising means for reusing the CO 2 released during the production of cement, steel, and aluminum as well as the production of ammonia and methanol. If CO 2 could be removed from the atmosphere at acceptable costs (i.e., <$100/t of CO 2 ), then CO 2 R could be used to produce carbon-containing chemicals and fuels in a fully sustainable manner. Economic considerations dictate that CO 2 R current densities must be in the range of 0.1 to 1 A/cm 2 and selectivity toward the targeted product must be high in order to minimize separation costs. Industrially relevant operating conditions can be achieved by using gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs) to maximize the transport of species to and from the cathode and combining such electrodes with a solid-electrolyte membrane by eliminating the ohmic losses associated with liquid electrolytes. Additionally, high product selectivity can be attained by careful tuning of the microenvironment near the catalyst surface (e.g., the pH, the concentrations of CO 2 and H 2 O, and the identities of the cations in the double layer adjacent to the catalyst surface).

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Bui, Justin C., Kim, Chanyeon, King, Alex J., Romiluyi, Oyinkansola, Kusoglu, Ahmet, Weber, Adam Z., Bell, Alexis T.. 2022-02-01. Engineering Catalyst–Electrolyte Microenvironments to Optimize the Activity and Selectivity for the Electrochemical Reduction of CO 2 on Cu and Ag. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.accounts.1c00650

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