Chinese Journal of Catalysis ›› 2024, Vol. 63: 61-80.DOI: 10.1016/S1872-2067(24)60073-2

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Enhancing selectivity in acidic CO2 electrolysis: Cation effects and catalyst innovation

Zichao Huang, Tinghui Yang, Yingbing Zhang, Chaoqun Guan, Wenke Gui, Min Kuang*(), Jianping Yang*()   

  1. State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
  • Received:2024-04-12 Accepted:2024-06-11 Online:2024-08-18 Published:2024-08-19
  • Contact: *E-mail: jianpingyang@dhu.edu.cn (J. Yang), mkuang@dhu.edu.cn (M. Kuang).
  • About author:Min Kuang is currently a professor in the College of Materials Science and Engineering in Donghua University (China). She finished her PhD from Laboratory of Advanced Materials at Fudan University. After that, she joined the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Nanyang Technological University as a postdoctoral research associate. Her research interest is concentrating on developing advanced electrochemical C1-to-fuel conversion systems and the exploration of efficient electrocatalysts.
    Jianping Yang is appointed as a Professor and Associate Dean in the College of Materials Science and Engineering at Donghua University (China). He received his PhD in Inorganic Chemistry from Fudan University in 2013, and then worked as a postdoctoral and visiting research fellow at Tongji University, University of Wollongong and Monash University. His research interests include interfacial design of functional materials for environmental electrocatalysis, sustainable energy systems. Professor Yang has been admitted as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC), and identified in the Highly Cited Researchers in Cross Field (2023) by Web of Science-Clarivate Analytics.
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China(52122312);National Natural Science Foundation of China(22209024);Shanghai Pujiang Program(22PJ1400200);Tongcheng R&D Foundation(CPCIF-RA-0102);State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, Donghua University

Abstract:

The electrochemical reduction of CO2 (eCO2R) under ambient conditions is crucial for reducing carbon emissions and achieving carbon neutrality. Despite progress with alkaline and neutral electrolytes, their efficiency is limited by (bi)carbonates formation. Acidic media have emerged as a solution, addressing the (bi)carbonates challenge but introducing the issue of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), which reduces CO2 conversion efficiency in acidic environments. This review focuses on enhancing the selectivity of acidic CO2 electrolysis. It commences with an overview of the latest advancements in acidic CO2 electrolysis, focusing on product selectivity and electrocatalytic activity enhancements. It then delves into the critical factors shaping selectivity in acidic CO2 electrolysis, with a special emphasis on the influence of cations and catalyst design. Finally, the research challenges and personal perspectives of acidic CO2 electrolysis are suggested.

Key words: Acidic CO2 electrolysis, High selectivity, Cation effects, Catalyst design, Competitive HER