Minor Product Polymerization Causes Failure of High-Current CO2-to-Ethylene Electrolyzers

Kovalev, Mikhail K.; Ren, Hangjuan; Zakir Muhamad, Marsha; Ager, Joel W.; Lapkin, Alexei A.

doi:10.1021/acsenergylett.1c02450

Title: Minor Product Polymerization Causes Failure of High-Current CO₂-to-Ethylene Electrolyzers

Journal Article · 10 January 2022 · ACS Energy Letters

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsenergylett.1c02450 · OSTI ID:1894313

Kovalev, Mikhail K. ^[1]; Ren, Hangjuan ^[1];

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^[3]

Univ. of Cambridge (Singapore). Cambridge Centre for Advanced Research and Education in Singapore
Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (Singapore). Berkeley Educational Alliance for Research in Singapore Center; Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)
Univ. of Cambridge (Singapore). Cambridge Centre for Advanced Research and Education in Singapore; Univ. of Cambridge (United Kingdom)

Flooding of gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs) used in electrochemical conversion of CO₂ to ethylene is caused by polymerization of minor products. As such, the polymer so created reduces the hydrophobicity of the GDE, leading initially to a reduction in the ethylene yield and finally to complete failure.

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Research Organization:: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: National Research Foundation (NRF); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Chemical Sciences, Geosciences & Biosciences Division

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-05CH11231

OSTI ID:: 1894313

Journal Information:: ACS Energy Letters, Journal Name: ACS Energy Letters Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 7; ISSN 2380-8195

Publisher:: American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Title: Minor Product Polymerization Causes Failure of High-Current CO₂-to-Ethylene Electrolyzers