Liquid–Solid Boundaries Dominate Activity of CO2 Reduction on Gas-Diffusion Electrodes
- National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Delft Univ. of Technology (Netherlands)
- Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States)
- National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Delft Univ. of Technology (Netherlands); Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States)
Electrochemical CO2 electrolysis to produce hydrocarbon fuels or material feedstocks offers a renewable alternative to fossilized carbon sources. Gas-diffusion electrodes (GDEs), composed of solid electrocatalysts on porous supports positioned near the interface of a conducting electrolyte and CO2 gas, have been able to demonstrate the substantial current densities needed for future commercialization. These higher reaction rates have often been ascribed to the presence of a three-phase interface, where solid, liquid, and gas provide electrons, water, and CO2, respectively. Conversely, mechanistic work on electrochemical reactions implicates a fully two-phase reaction interface, where gas molecules reach the electrocatalyst’s surface by dissolution and diffusion through the electrolyte. Because the discrepancy between an atomistic three-phase versus two-phase reaction has substantial implications for the design of catalysts, gas-diffusion layers, and cell architectures, the nuances of nomenclatures and governing phenomena surrounding the three-phase-region require clarification. In this paper we outline the macro, micro, and atomistic phenomena occurring within a gas-diffusion electrode to provide a focused discussion on the architecture of the often-discussed three-phase region for CO2 electrolysis. From this information, we comment on the outlook for the broader CO2 electroreduction GDE cell architecture.
- Research Organization:
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- The Dutch Research Council (NWO); USDOE Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC36-08GO28308
- OSTI ID:
- 1755734
- Report Number(s):
- NREL/JA--5900-77219; MainId:26165; UUID:cb9df62a-2b11-4b34-b3c2-9c529631dcfa; MainAdminID:19062
- Journal Information:
- ACS Catalysis, Journal Name: ACS Catalysis Journal Issue: 23 Vol. 10; ISSN 2155-5435
- Publisher:
- American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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