Journal
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY & FUELS
Volume 6, Issue 22, Pages 5077-5088Publisher
ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY
DOI: 10.1039/d2se00858k
Keywords
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Funding
- Top sectors Chemistry, HTSM and Energy
- European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union [852115]
- Shell
- European Research Council (ERC) [852115] Funding Source: European Research Council (ERC)
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Electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2R) has the potential to convert abundant feedstocks to value-added chemicals and fuels. However, current membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) devices face challenges in water management and potassium ion crossover. In this study, a novel device architecture with an anion-exchange membrane (AEM) containing internal water channels is proposed and tested. The results show that the internal channels reduce potassium ion crossover, improve AEM conductivity, and enhance overall cell performance.
Electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2R) poses substantial promise to convert abundant feedstocks (water and CO2) to value-added chemicals and fuels using solely renewable energy. However, recent membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) devices that have been demonstrated to achieve high rates of CO2R are limited by water management within the cell, due to both consumption of water by the CO2R reaction and electro-osmotic fluxes that transport water from the cathode to the anode. Additionally, crossover of potassium (K+) ions poses concern at high current densities where saturation and precipitation of the salt ions can degrade cell performance. Herein, a device architecture incorporating an anion-exchange membrane (AEM) with internal water channels to mitigate MEA dehydration is proposed and demonstrated. A macroscale, two-dimensional continuum model is used to assess water fluxes and local water content within the modified MEA, as well as to determine the optimal channel geometry and composition. The modified AEMs are then fabricated and tested experimentally, demonstrating that the internal channels can both reduce K+ cation crossover as well as improve AEM conductivity and therefore overall cell performance. This work demonstrates the promise of these materials, and operando water-management strategies in general, in handling some of the major hurdles in the development of MEA devices for CO2R.
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