IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v14y2023i1d10.1038_s41467-023-41278-7.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A CO2 electrolyzer tandem cell system for CO2-CO co-feed valorization in a Ni-N-C/Cu-catalyzed reaction cascade

Author

Listed:
  • Tim Möller

    (Technical University Berlin)

  • Michael Filippi

    (Technical University Berlin)

  • Sven Brückner

    (Technical University Berlin)

  • Wen Ju

    (Technical University Berlin)

  • Peter Strasser

    (Technical University Berlin)

Abstract

Coupled tandem electrolyzer concepts have been predicted to offer kinetic benefits to sluggish catalytic reactions thanks to their flexibility of reaction environments in each cell. Here we design, assemble, test, and analyze the first complete low-temperature, neutral-pH, cathode precious metal-free tandem CO2 electrolyzer cell chain. The tandem system couples an Ag-free CO2-to-CO2/CO electrolyzer (cell-1) to a CO2/CO-to-C2+ product electrolyzer (cell-2). Cell-1 and cell-2 incorporate selective Ni-N-C-based and Cu-based Gas Diffusion Cathodes, respectively, and operate at sustainable neutral pH conditions. Using our tandem cell system, we report strongly enhanced rates for the production of ethylene (by 50%) and alcohols (by 100%) and a sharply increased C2+ energy efficiency (by 100%) at current densities of up to 700 mA cm−2 compared to the single CO2-to-C2+ electrolyzer cell system approach. This study demonstrates that coupled tandem electrolyzer cell systems can offer kinetic and practical energetic benefits over single-cell designs for the production of value-added C2+ chemicals and fuels directly from CO2 feeds without intermediate separation or purification.

Suggested Citation

  • Tim Möller & Michael Filippi & Sven Brückner & Wen Ju & Peter Strasser, 2023. "A CO2 electrolyzer tandem cell system for CO2-CO co-feed valorization in a Ni-N-C/Cu-catalyzed reaction cascade," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-41278-7
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41278-7
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-41278-7
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-023-41278-7?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Miao Zhong & Kevin Tran & Yimeng Min & Chuanhao Wang & Ziyun Wang & Cao-Thang Dinh & Phil De Luna & Zongqian Yu & Armin Sedighian Rasouli & Peter Brodersen & Song Sun & Oleksandr Voznyy & Chih-Shan Ta, 2020. "Accelerated discovery of CO2 electrocatalysts using active machine learning," Nature, Nature, vol. 581(7807), pages 178-183, May.
    2. Christina W. Li & Jim Ciston & Matthew W. Kanan, 2014. "Electroreduction of carbon monoxide to liquid fuel on oxide-derived nanocrystalline copper," Nature, Nature, vol. 508(7497), pages 504-507, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Di Wang & Hyun Dong Jung & Shikai Liu & Jiayi Chen & Haozhou Yang & Qian He & Shibo Xi & Seoin Back & Lei Wang, 2024. "Revealing the structural evolution of CuAg composites during electrochemical carbon monoxide reduction," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Hefei Li & Pengfei Wei & Tianfu Liu & Mingrun Li & Chao Wang & Rongtan Li & Jinyu Ye & Zhi-You Zhou & Shi-Gang Sun & Qiang Fu & Dunfeng Gao & Guoxiong Wang & Xinhe Bao, 2024. "CO electrolysis to multicarbon products over grain boundary-rich Cu nanoparticles in membrane electrode assembly electrolyzers," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    2. Hong-Jie Peng & Michael T. Tang & Joakim Halldin Stenlid & Xinyan Liu & Frank Abild-Pedersen, 2022. "Trends in oxygenate/hydrocarbon selectivity for electrochemical CO(2) reduction to C2 products," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.
    3. Chen, Jiateng & Xu, Le & Shen, Boxiong, 2024. "Recent advances in tandem electrocatalysis of carbon dioxide: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 199(C).
    4. Cheng Du & Joel P. Mills & Asfaw G. Yohannes & Wei Wei & Lei Wang & Siyan Lu & Jian-Xiang Lian & Maoyu Wang & Tao Guo & Xiyang Wang & Hua Zhou & Cheng-Jun Sun & John Z. Wen & Brian Kendall & Martin Co, 2023. "Cascade electrocatalysis via AgCu single-atom alloy and Ag nanoparticles in CO2 electroreduction toward multicarbon products," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    5. Guifeng Ma & Olga A. Syzgantseva & Yan Huang & Dragos Stoian & Jie Zhang & Shuliang Yang & Wen Luo & Mengying Jiang & Shumu Li & Chunjun Chen & Maria A. Syzgantseva & Sen Yan & Ningyu Chen & Li Peng &, 2023. "A hydrophobic Cu/Cu2O sheet catalyst for selective electroreduction of CO to ethanol," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.
    6. Hongfei Wang & Zhipeng Yu & Jie Zhou & Chengming Li & Ananthanarasimhan Jayanarasimhan & Xiqiang Zhao & Hao Zhang, 2023. "A Scientometric Review of CO 2 Electroreduction Research from 2005 to 2022," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-21, January.
    7. Xiaoyun Lin & Xiaowei Du & Shican Wu & Shiyu Zhen & Wei Liu & Chunlei Pei & Peng Zhang & Zhi-Jian Zhao & Jinlong Gong, 2024. "Machine learning-assisted dual-atom sites design with interpretable descriptors unifying electrocatalytic reactions," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    8. Darband, Ghasem Barati & Aliofkhazraei, Mahmood & Shanmugam, Sangaraju, 2019. "Recent advances in methods and technologies for enhancing bubble detachment during electrochemical water splitting," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 1-1.
    9. Kaili Yao & Jun Li & Adnan Ozden & Haibin Wang & Ning Sun & Pengyu Liu & Wen Zhong & Wei Zhou & Jieshu Zhou & Xi Wang & Hanqi Liu & Yongchang Liu & Songhua Chen & Yongfeng Hu & Ziyun Wang & David Sint, 2024. "In situ copper faceting enables efficient CO2/CO electrolysis," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    10. Zhiyuan Han & An Chen & Zejian Li & Mengtian Zhang & Zhilong Wang & Lixue Yang & Runhua Gao & Yeyang Jia & Guanjun Ji & Zhoujie Lao & Xiao Xiao & Kehao Tao & Jing Gao & Wei Lv & Tianshuai Wang & Jinji, 2024. "Machine learning-based design of electrocatalytic materials towards high-energy lithium||sulfur batteries development," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    11. TsingHai Wang & Cheng-Di Dong & Jui-Yen Lin & Chiu-Wen Chen & Jo-Shu Chang & Hyunook Kim & Chin-Pao Huang & Chang-Mao Hung, 2021. "Recent Advances in Carbon Dioxide Conversion: A Circular Bioeconomy Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-31, June.
    12. SJ, Balaji & Babu, Suresh Chandra & Pal, Suresh, 2021. "Understanding Science and Policy Making in Agriculture: A Machine Learning Application for India," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315227, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    13. Bo Peng & Ye Wei & Yu Qin & Jiabao Dai & Yue Li & Aobo Liu & Yun Tian & Liuliu Han & Yufeng Zheng & Peng Wen, 2023. "Machine learning-enabled constrained multi-objective design of architected materials," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.
    14. Alanne, Kari & Cao, Sunliang, 2019. "An overview of the concept and technology of ubiquitous energy," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 238(C), pages 284-302.
    15. Jikai Sun & Rui Tu & Yuchun Xu & Hongyan Yang & Tie Yu & Dong Zhai & Xiuqin Ci & Weiqiao Deng, 2024. "Machine learning aided design of single-atom alloy catalysts for methane cracking," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
    16. Kaihang Yue & Yanyang Qin & Honghao Huang & Zhuoran Lv & Mingzhi Cai & Yaqiong Su & Fuqiang Huang & Ya Yan, 2024. "Stabilized Cu0 -Cu1+ dual sites in a cyanamide framework for selective CO2 electroreduction to ethylene," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    17. Wenzhe Niu & Jie Feng & Junfeng Chen & Lei Deng & Wen Guo & Huajing Li & Liqiang Zhang & Youyong Li & Bo Zhang, 2024. "High-efficiency C3 electrosynthesis on a lattice-strain-stabilized nitrogen-doped Cu surface," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    18. Xinyi Ren & Jian Zhao & Xuning Li & Junming Shao & Binbin Pan & Aude Salamé & Etienne Boutin & Thomas Groizard & Shifu Wang & Jie Ding & Xiong Zhang & Wen-Yang Huang & Wen-Jing Zeng & Chengyu Liu & Ya, 2023. "In-situ spectroscopic probe of the intrinsic structure feature of single-atom center in electrochemical CO/CO2 reduction to methanol," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    19. Pranav P. Sharma & Xiao‐Dong Zhou, 2017. "Electrocatalytic conversion of carbon dioxide to fuels: a review on the interaction between CO2 and the liquid electrolyte," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 6(4), July.
    20. Tufa, Ramato Ashu & Chanda, Debabrata & Ma, Ming & Aili, David & Demissie, Taye Beyene & Vaes, Jan & Li, Qingfeng & Liu, Shanhu & Pant, Deepak, 2020. "Towards highly efficient electrochemical CO2 reduction: Cell designs, membranes and electrocatalysts," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 277(C).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-41278-7. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.