Investigation of Electrolyte-Dependent Carbonate Formation on Gas Diffusion Electrodes for CO Electrolysis.

The electrochemical reduction of CO (ECOR) is a promising method for reducing CO emissions and producing carbon-neutral fuels if long-term durability of electrodes can be achieved by identifying and addressing electrode degradation mechanisms. This work investigates the degradation of gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs) in a flowing, alkaline CO electrolyzer via the formation of carbonate deposits on the GDE surface. These carbonate deposits were found to impede electrode performance after only 6 h of operation at current densities ranging from -50 to -200 mA cm.

Durable Cathodes and Electrolyzers for the Efficient Aqueous Electrochemical Reduction of CO.

The world emits over 14 gigatons of CO in excess of what can be remediated by natural processes annually, contributing to rising atmospheric CO levels and increasing global temperatures. The electrochemical reduction of CO (CO RR) to value-added chemicals and fuels has been proposed as a method for reusing these excess anthropogenic emissions. While state-of-the-art CO RR systems exhibit high current densities and faradaic efficiencies, research on long-term electrode durability, necessary for this technology to be implemented commercially, is lacking.