Electrochemical Reduction of Gaseous CO2 at Low-Intermediate Temperatures Using a Solid Acid Membrane Cell

Abstract

In this study, the electrochemical reduction of gaseous carbon dioxide (CO2) at low-intermediate temperatures (~250 °C) using a solid acid membrane cell was demonstrated, for the first time. Compared to solid oxide fuel cells, which operate at higher temperatures (>600 °C), this system can utilize the advantage of gaseous CO2 reduction, while being considerably more simply implemented. A Cu-based electrocatalyst was developed as a cathode side catalyst for electrochemical reduction of gaseous CO2 and specifically demonstrated its efficacy to produce hydrocarbons and liquid fuels. The result is significant in terms of resolving the challenges associated with producing hydrocarbons and liquid fuels from CO2 reduction. The present study introduced the novel system with the solid acid membrane cell and the Cu-based catalyst for electrochemically reducing gaseous CO2. This system showed a new possibility for electrochemical reduction of gaseous CO2, as it operates at lower temperatures, produces hydrocarbons and liquid fuels and has plenty of room for improvement.