Solar-Driven Thermochemical Splitting of CO2 and In Situ Separation of CO and O2 across a Ceria Redox Membrane Reactor

Splitting CO2 with a thermochemical redox cycle utilizes the entire solar spectrum and provides a favorable path to the synthesis of solar fuels at high rates and efficiencies. However, the temperature/pressure swing commonly applied between reduction and oxidation steps incurs irreversible energy losses and severe material stresses. Here, we experimentally demonstrate for the first time the single-step continuous splitting of CO2 into separate streams of CO and O-2 under steady-state isothermal/isobaric conditions. This is accomplished using a solar-driven ceria membrane reactor conducting oxygen ions, electrons, and vacancies induced by the oxygen chemical potential gradient. Guided by the limitations imposed by thermodynamic equilibrium of CO2 thermolysis, we operated the solar reactor at 1,600 degrees C, 3.10(-6) bar pO(2) and 3,500 suns radiation, yielding total selectivity of CO2 to CO + 1/2O(2) with a conversion rate of 0.024 mmol.s(-1) per cm(2) membrane. The dynamics of the oxygen vacancy exchange, tracked by GC and XPS, further validated stable fuel production.