Issue 8, 2024

Multiscale effects in tandem CO2 electrolysis to C2+ products

Abstract

CO2 electrolysis is a sustainable technology capable of accelerating global decarbonisation through the production of high-value alternatives to fossil-derived products. CO2 conversion can generate critical multicarbon (C2+) products such as drop-in chemicals ethylene and ethanol, however achieving high selectivity from single-component catalysts is often limited by the competitive formation of C1 products. Tandem catalysis can overcome C2+ selectivity limitations through the incorporation of a component that generates a high concentration of CO, the primary reactant involved in the C–C coupling step to form C2+ products. A wide range of approaches to promote tandem CO2 electrolysis have been presented in recent literature that span atomic-scale manipulation to device-scale engineering. Therefore, an understanding of multiscale effects that contribute to selectivity alterations are required to develop effective tandem systems. In this review, we use relevant examples to highlight the complex and interlinked contributions to selectivity and provide an outlook for future development of tandem CO2 electrolysis systems.

Graphical abstract: Multiscale effects in tandem CO2 electrolysis to C2+ products

Article information

Article type
Minireview
Submitted
01 Nov. 2023
Accepted
11 Dec. 2023
First published
12 Dec. 2023
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Nanoscale, 2024,16, 3915-3925

Multiscale effects in tandem CO2 electrolysis to C2+ products

L. S. Cousins and C. E. Creissen, Nanoscale, 2024, 16, 3915 DOI: 10.1039/D3NR05547G

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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