Tackling CO2 Loss in Electrocatalytic Carbon Dioxide Reduction by Advanced Material and Electrolyzer Design

Abstract

Electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction (ECO₂R) has been considered as a promising approach to convert CO₂ into valuable chemicals and fuels. CO₂ loss in conventional alkaline electrolyzers has been recognized as a major obstacle that compromising the efficiency of the ECO₂R system. This review firstly conducts an in-depth assessment of the origin and influence of CO₂ loss. On this basis, this work summarizes electrolyzer configurations based on novel material and structure design that are capable of tackling CO₂ loss, including acidic electrolyzer, bipolar membrane (BPM) derived electrolyzer, cascade electrolyzer, liquid-phase-anode electrolyzer, and liquid-fed electrolyzer. The design strategies and challenges of these carbon efficient electrolyzers have been deliberated in detail. By comparing and analyzing the advantages and limitations of various electrolyzer designs, this work aims to provide some guidelines for the development of efficient ECO₂R technology toward large-scale industrial application.

Keywords: CO2 loss; carbon efficiency; electrocatalytic CO2 reduction; electrolyzer design.