Effects of microporous layer on electrolyte flooding in gas diffusion electrodes and selectivity of CO2 electrolysis to CO

Yuming Wu; Sahil Garg; Mengran Li; Mohamed Nazmi Idros; Zhiheng Li; Rijia Lin; Jian Chen; Guoxiong Wang; Thomas E. Rufford

doi:10.1016/j.jpowsour.2022.230998

Effects of microporous layer on electrolyte flooding in gas diffusion electrodes and selectivity of CO₂ electrolysis to CO

Yuming Wu, Sahil Garg, Mengran Li^*, Mohamed Nazmi Idros, Zhiheng Li, Rijia Lin, Jian Chen, Guoxiong Wang, Thomas E. Rufford^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

66 Citations (Scopus)

20 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

[Graphical abstract presents]

Understanding the relationship between gas diffusion electrode (GDE) structures and the performance of electrochemical CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR) is crucial to developing industrial-scale technologies to convert CO₂ to valuable products. We studied how the microporous layer (MPL) on GDE's coated with silver nanoparticle catalysts affects the electrochemical CO₂ conversion to CO in a flow cell electrolyser. We demonstrate a convenient method to measure the rate of catholyte seepage through a GDE during CO₂RR experiments and used this method to show how the MPL thickness affects flooding of the GDE. We found the GDE with the thickest MPL (39BB) had the best selectivity for CO and stability at current densities above 100 mA cm⁻² as the thick MPL minimized flooding. However, at low current densities the 39BB electrode achieved a lower CO selectivity than the GDE with thinner MPL. These results suggest opportunities to improve CO₂ electrolyser performances at high current by optimisation of the MPL structure and wettability.

Original language	English
Article number	230998
Pages (from-to)	1-10
Number of pages	10
Journal	Journal of Power Sources
Volume	522
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2022.230998
Publication status	Published - 28 Feb 2022
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Copyright the Author(s) 2022. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

Keywords

Electrochemical CO₂ reduction
Gas diffusion electrode
Microporous layer
Thickness
Electrolyte flooding

Access to Document

10.1016/j.jpowsour.2022.230998Licence: CC BY

Publisher version (open access)Final published version, 8.65 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

@article{bd5177c8f070437bacba453d5ac7635e,

title = "Effects of microporous layer on electrolyte flooding in gas diffusion electrodes and selectivity of CO2 electrolysis to CO",

abstract = "[Graphical abstract presents]Understanding the relationship between gas diffusion electrode (GDE) structures and the performance of electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) is crucial to developing industrial-scale technologies to convert CO2 to valuable products. We studied how the microporous layer (MPL) on GDE's coated with silver nanoparticle catalysts affects the electrochemical CO2 conversion to CO in a flow cell electrolyser. We demonstrate a convenient method to measure the rate of catholyte seepage through a GDE during CO2RR experiments and used this method to show how the MPL thickness affects flooding of the GDE. We found the GDE with the thickest MPL (39BB) had the best selectivity for CO and stability at current densities above 100 mA cm−2 as the thick MPL minimized flooding. However, at low current densities the 39BB electrode achieved a lower CO selectivity than the GDE with thinner MPL. These results suggest opportunities to improve CO2 electrolyser performances at high current by optimisation of the MPL structure and wettability.",

keywords = "Electrochemical CO₂ reduction, Gas diffusion electrode, Microporous layer, Thickness, Electrolyte flooding",

author = "Yuming Wu and Sahil Garg and Mengran Li and Idros, {Mohamed Nazmi} and Zhiheng Li and Rijia Lin and Jian Chen and Guoxiong Wang and Rufford, {Thomas E.}",

note = "Copyright the Author(s) 2022. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.",

year = "2022",

month = feb,

day = "28",

doi = "10.1016/j.jpowsour.2022.230998",

language = "English",

volume = "522",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Effects of microporous layer on electrolyte flooding in gas diffusion electrodes and selectivity of CO2 electrolysis to CO

AU - Wu, Yuming

AU - Garg, Sahil

AU - Li, Mengran

AU - Idros, Mohamed Nazmi

AU - Li, Zhiheng

AU - Lin, Rijia

AU - Chen, Jian

AU - Wang, Guoxiong

AU - Rufford, Thomas E.

N1 - Copyright the Author(s) 2022. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

PY - 2022/2/28

Y1 - 2022/2/28

N2 - [Graphical abstract presents]Understanding the relationship between gas diffusion electrode (GDE) structures and the performance of electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) is crucial to developing industrial-scale technologies to convert CO2 to valuable products. We studied how the microporous layer (MPL) on GDE's coated with silver nanoparticle catalysts affects the electrochemical CO2 conversion to CO in a flow cell electrolyser. We demonstrate a convenient method to measure the rate of catholyte seepage through a GDE during CO2RR experiments and used this method to show how the MPL thickness affects flooding of the GDE. We found the GDE with the thickest MPL (39BB) had the best selectivity for CO and stability at current densities above 100 mA cm−2 as the thick MPL minimized flooding. However, at low current densities the 39BB electrode achieved a lower CO selectivity than the GDE with thinner MPL. These results suggest opportunities to improve CO2 electrolyser performances at high current by optimisation of the MPL structure and wettability.

AB - [Graphical abstract presents]Understanding the relationship between gas diffusion electrode (GDE) structures and the performance of electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) is crucial to developing industrial-scale technologies to convert CO2 to valuable products. We studied how the microporous layer (MPL) on GDE's coated with silver nanoparticle catalysts affects the electrochemical CO2 conversion to CO in a flow cell electrolyser. We demonstrate a convenient method to measure the rate of catholyte seepage through a GDE during CO2RR experiments and used this method to show how the MPL thickness affects flooding of the GDE. We found the GDE with the thickest MPL (39BB) had the best selectivity for CO and stability at current densities above 100 mA cm−2 as the thick MPL minimized flooding. However, at low current densities the 39BB electrode achieved a lower CO selectivity than the GDE with thinner MPL. These results suggest opportunities to improve CO2 electrolyser performances at high current by optimisation of the MPL structure and wettability.

KW - Electrochemical CO₂ reduction

KW - Gas diffusion electrode

KW - Microporous layer

KW - Thickness

KW - Electrolyte flooding

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DO - 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2022.230998

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