The increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration and the associated rise in global temperatures are major global concerns. Using the chemical industry as example, four gigatons of CO2 net emissions are vented yearly to the atmosphere, hence intensifying global warming. One mitigation strategy being studied and employed is Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). Another widely studied mitigation approach is Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU), where CO2 is utilized as the feed for chemical production. The electroreduction of CO2 (eCO2RR) is a promising technology that can convert selectively, depending on the catalyst used, captured CO2 to key intermediates such as carbon monoxide, methane, ethylene, and ethanol. Compared to traditional fossil fuel-based petrochemical production methods, eCO2RR utilizes renewable energy to drive the process (electricity from renewable sources) and CO2 as the feedstock for chemical production at ambient conditions, which is less energy intense. This approach diminishes the CO2 emissions associated with chemical manufacturing. Despite of this, significant improvements for eCO2RR are still required in terms of current density (rate of product formation), Faradaic efficiency (product selectivity), energy efficiency, durability of electrodes, and scaling to bring eCO2RR to a technological maturity suitable for deployment at industrial scales. Moreover, to attain commercial competitiveness, the eCO2RR conversion system would need to be capable of handling of gaseous feeds that are not 100% CO2, but still contain nitrogen and/or oxygen. Direct air capture of CO2 becomes a lot less energy intense and less costly if upgrading the CO2 concentration from ambient air (410 ppm) does not have to approach 100%. To addresses these challenges, this work seeks to develop scalable, energy efficient Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA) cell technology that can achieve high current density and Faradaic efficiency using realistic mixed gas feeds, e.g., feeds produced by membrane-based direct air capture technology. This work also will investigate the effect of MEA cell conditioning on the cell performance, the effect of N2 and especially O2 in the reactant feed on cell performance, and the durability of electrodes.

Electrochemical reduction of CO2 using membrane electrode assembly cell

Where thousands of chemistry professionals meet to share ideas and advance scientific and technical knowledge. Spring 2023 abstracts, posters, and presentations will launch at the end of March.

ACS Spring 2023

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