The electrolysis of CO2 to liquid fuels and fuel feedstocks such as syngas offers a possible carbon-neutral solution to the problem of closing the loop on an anthropogenic carbon cycle. However efficient electrolysis of CO2 is at technologically relevant current densities is challenging because of several problems that are linked at the system level. CO2 is sparingly soluble in acidic aqueous electrolytes, and hydrogen is the dominant product at noble metal catalysts that are also good catalysts for CO2 reduction. Product crossover from the cathode to the anode is a significant loss channel in CO2 electrolysis cells that use alkaline electrolytes and anion exchange membranes. We are exploring the utility of bipolar membranes that effectively eliminate product crossover in both neutral and acidic solutions, as well as in gas-fed electrolyzers. In order to modulate the acidity at the cathode, and hence the Faradaic efficiency of CO2 reduction, we introduce weak acid polymers as components of the bipolar membrane. The CO2 electrolysis process can also be driven photoelectrochemically at porous p-silicon electrodes, where molecular adsorbates on Ag nanoparticle catalysts pre-concentrate CO2 and mediate proton transfer to active sites at the electrocatalyst surface.

Electrolysis and photoelectrolysis of CO2 in bipolar membrane-based electrochemical cells

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.