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Title: Effects of temperature and gas–liquid mass transfer on the operation of small electrochemical cells for the quantitative evaluation of CO2 reduction electrocatalysts

Journal Article · · Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. PCCP
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1039/c6cp05287h· OSTI ID:1398394
 [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [1];  [2];  [1]; ORCiD logo [3]
  1. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis; Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Chemical Sciences Division; Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States). Dept. of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
  2. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis; Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Chemical Sciences Division
  3. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis; Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Materials Sciences Division; Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States). Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering

In the last few years, there has been increased interest in electrochemical CO2 reduction (CO2R). Many experimental studies employ a membrane separated, electrochemical cell with a mini H-cell geometry to characterize CO2R catalysts in aqueous solution. This type of electrochemical cell is a mini-chemical reactor and it is important to monitor the reaction conditions within the reactor to ensure that they are constant throughout the study. Here we show that operating cells with high catalyst surface area to electrolyte volume ratios (S/V) at high current densities can have subtle consequences due to the complexity of the physical phenomena taking place on electrode surfaces during CO2R, particularly as they relate to the cell temperature and bulk electrolyte CO2 concentration. Both effects were evaluated quantitatively in high S/V cells using Cu electrodes and a bicarbonate buffer electrolyte. Electrolyte temperature is a function of the current/total voltage passed through the cell and the cell geometry. Even at a very high current density, 20 mA cm -2 , the temperature increase was less than 4 °C and a decrease of < 10% in the dissolved CO2 concentration is predicted. In contrast, limits on the CO2 gas-liquid mass transfer into the cells produce much larger effects. By using the pH in the cell to measure the CO2 concentration, significant undersaturation of CO2 is observed in the bulk electrolyte, even at more modest current densities of 10 mA cm -2 . Undersaturation of CO2 produces large changes in the faradaic efficiency observed on Cu electrodes, with H2 production becoming increasingly favored. Finally, we show that the size of the CO2 bubbles being introduced into the cell is critical for maintaining the equilibrium CO2 concentration in the electrolyte, and we have designed a high S/V cell that is able to maintain the near-equilibrium CO2 concentration at current densities up to 15 mA cm-2.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); California Institute of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States). Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis (JCAP)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231; SC0004993
OSTI ID:
1398394
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1497011
Journal Information:
Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. PCCP, Vol. 18, Issue 38; ISSN 1463-9076
Publisher:
Royal Society of ChemistryCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 97 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (22)

In‐Situ Nanostructuring and Stabilization of Polycrystalline Copper by an Organic Salt Additive Promotes Electrocatalytic CO 2 Reduction to Ethylene journal November 2019
Atomic Layer Deposition of ZnO on CuO Enables Selective and Efficient Electroreduction of Carbon Dioxide to Liquid Fuels journal September 2019
Nanocrystal/Metal–Organic Framework Hybrids as Electrocatalytic Platforms for CO 2 Conversion journal September 2019
In-Situ Nanostructuring and Stabilization of Polycrystalline Copper by an Organic Salt Additive Promotes Electrocatalytic CO 2 Reduction to Ethylene journal October 2019
Atomic Layer Deposition of ZnO on CuO Enables Selective and Efficient Electroreduction of Carbon Dioxide to Liquid Fuels journal September 2019
Effects of Anion Identity and Concentration on Electrochemical Reduction of CO 2 journal February 2018
On the Oxidation State of Cu 2 O upon Electrochemical CO 2 Reduction: An XPS Study journal July 2019
In‐Situ Infrared Spectroscopy Applied to the Study of the Electrocatalytic Reduction of CO 2 : Theory, Practice and Challenges journal September 2019
Investigating Electrode Flooding in a Flowing Electrolyte, Gas‐Fed Carbon Dioxide Electrolyzer journal December 2019
Initial Application of Selected-Ion Flow-Tube Mass Spectrometry to Real-Time Product Detection in Electrochemical CO 2 Reduction journal December 2017
Efficient electrocatalytic CO2 reduction on a three-phase interface journal July 2018
Evidence for product-specific active sites on oxide-derived Cu catalysts for electrochemical CO2 reduction journal December 2018
Selective CO 2 reduction to C 3 and C 4 oxyhydrocarbons on nickel phosphides at overpotentials as low as 10 mV journal January 2018
Inductive and electrostatic effects on cobalt porphyrins for heterogeneous electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction journal January 2019
A perspective on practical solar to carbon monoxide production devices with economic evaluation journal January 2020
Advances and challenges in electrochemical CO 2 reduction processes: an engineering and design perspective looking beyond new catalyst materials journal January 2020
A temperature-controlled photoelectrochemical cell for quantitative product analysis journal May 2018
Mechanistic insights into electrochemical reduction of CO 2 over Ag using density functional theory and transport models journal October 2017
Current achievements and the future direction of electrochemical CO 2 reduction: A short review journal June 2019
Towards Higher Rate Electrochemical CO2 Conversion: From Liquid-Phase to Gas-Phase Systems journal March 2019
Atomic‐Scale Spacing between Copper Facets for the Electrochemical Reduction of Carbon Dioxide journal March 2020
Nanocrystal/Metal–Organic Framework Hybrids as Electrocatalytic Platforms for CO 2 Conversion journal July 2019

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