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Published January 11, 2019 | public
Journal Article

Gas-Diffusion Electrodes for Carbon-Dioxide Reduction: A New Paradigm

Abstract

Significant advances have been made in recent years discovering new electrocatalysts and developing a fundamental understanding of electrochemical CO_2 reduction processes. This field has progressed to the point that efforts can now focus on translating this knowledge toward the development of practical CO_2 electrolyzers, which have the potential to replace conventional petrochemical processes as a sustainable route to produce fuels and chemicals. In this Perspective, we take a critical look at the progress in incorporating electrochemical CO_2 reduction catalysts into practical device architectures that operate using vapor-phase CO_2 reactants, thereby overcoming intrinsic limitations of aqueous-based systems. Performance comparison is made between state-of-the-art CO_2 electrolyzers and commercial H_2O electrolyzers—a well-established technology that provides realistic performance targets. Beyond just higher rates, vapor-fed reactors represent new paradigms for unprecedented control of local reaction conditions, and we provide a perspective on the challenges and opportunities for generating fundamental knowledge and achieving technological progress toward the development of practical CO_2 electrolyzers.

Additional Information

© 2018 American Chemical Society. Received: October 24, 2018; Accepted: December 14, 2018; Published: December 14, 2018. This work was supported by the Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis, a DOE Energy Innovation Hub, supported through the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy under Award Number DE-SC0004993. Author Contributions: D.H. and C.H.: Equal author contributions. The authors declare no competing financial interest.

Additional details

Created:
August 19, 2023
Modified:
October 19, 2023