DOE OSTI · 3387534
Impact of anion-exchange membrane degradation on long-term CO 2 electrolysis to ethylene
Abstract
Electrochemical CO 2 reduction (eCO2R) to ethylene offers a unique opportunity to diversify domestic supply chains for chemical manufacturing. Large-scale deployment of eCO2R to ethylene reactors is currently limited by low energy efficiencies and poor durability. Herein, we demonstrate >100 h of continuous electrolysis at an industrially relevant current density of 200 mA cm −2 in a 25 cm 2 geometric area zero-gap reactor with a full-cell voltage <3.1 V and ethylene Faradaic efficiency >30%. Incorporating expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-supported electrodes into zero-gap reactors allows for durable electrode catalysts that are resistant to flooding, and this enables wider ranges of operating parameters not typically accessible in CO 2 electrolysis. Finally, we identify membrane degradation, evidenced by a loss of membrane ion-exchange capacity, as the leading cause of performance loss over 144 h of electrolysis.
Explore related subjects
Keep this discovery
Goldman, Maxwell [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000252675291), Marufu, Michell [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)], Krall, Eric [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)], Thigpen, Lucas [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)], Gao, Tianyue [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)], Li, Shi [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)], Ross, Dominic [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)], Prajapati, Aditya [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)], Hwee, Natalie [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)], Mora, Joy Marie [Univ. of California, Merced, CA (United States)], Jue, Melinda L. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)], Li, Kunyu George [Univ. of Chicago, IL (United States)], Marple, Maxwell A. T. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)], Torres, James R. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)], Zhang, Yuxuan [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)], Hobbs, Roger [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)], Abel Chuang, Po-Ya [Univ. of California, Merced, CA (United States)], Hahn, Christopher [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)], Jaffer, Shaffiq [TotalEnergies Research & Technology USA, LLC, Houston, TX (United States)], Gross, Herve [TotalEnergies Research & Technology USA, LLC, Houston, TX (United States)], Raisin, Jonathan [TotalEnergies Research & Technology USA, LLC, Houston, TX (United States); Stanford Univ., CA (United States). SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis], Fleischer, Maximilian [Siemens Energy Global GmbH & Co. KG (Germany)], Simon, Elfriede [Siemens Energy Global GmbH & Co. KG (Germany)], Assary, Rajeev [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)], Arges, Christopher G. [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Univ. of Chicago, IL (United States)], Baker, Sarah E. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)], Wong, Andrew A. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)]. 2026-07-16. Impact of anion-exchange membrane degradation on long-term CO 2 electrolysis to ethylene. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.checat.2026.101759
Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.