Novel copper gas penetration electrode can efficiently reduce CO2 to multicarbon products

Electrochemical conversion of CO₂ into value-added chemical fuels driven by renewable electrical energy is a prospective strategy for addressing both CO₂ emissions and energy consumption. However, the current density of CO₂ to multicarbon products remains a challenge for sustained industrial-scale implementation.

Recently, a research team from the Shanghai Advanced Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences reported a hierarchical micro/nanostructured Cu(100)-rich hollow-fiber gas penetration electrode (GPE) for electrochemical reduction of CO₂ to multicarbon products under ampere level current density. The electrode broke through the bottleneck of low CO₂ solubility limit.

The results were published in Energy & Environmental Science on Nov. 2.

The Cu GPE is composed only of metallic copper for electrochemical CO₂ reduction reaction to C₂₊ products. It reduced CO₂ to C₂₊ products with a faradaic efficiency of 62.8% and a current density of 2.3 A cm^-2 in 0.5 M KHCO₃ solution at -1.94 V, approximating to or even outperforming state-of-the-art Cu-based catalysts.

Electrochemical results showed that optimized mass transfer and enhanced three-phase interface reaction synergistically promoted CO₂ activation and reduction kinetics. Theoretical calculations further suggested that the Cu(100) facet of Cu GPE favored CO adsorption and dimerization, thus enhancing its catalytic activity.