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        Carbon dioxide (CO2) is both an essential resource for life on Earth and a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Today, scientists are studying carbon dioxide as a promising resource for the production of renewable, low-carbon fuels and high-value chemical products.
       The challenge for researchers is to identify efficient and cost-effective ways to convert carbon dioxide into high-quality carbon intermediates such as carbon monoxide, methanol or formic acid.
        A research team led by K. K. Neuerlin of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and collaborators at Argonne National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory has found a promising solution to this problem. The team developed a conversion method to produce formic acid from carbon dioxide using renewable electricity with high energy efficiency and durability.
       The study, titled “Scalable membrane electrode assembly architecture for efficient electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide to formic acid,” was published in the journal Nature Communications.
        Formic acid is a potential chemical intermediate with a wide range of applications, especially as a raw material in the chemical or biological industries. Formic acid has also been identified as a feedstock for biorefining into clean aviation fuel.
       Electrolysis of CO2 results in the reduction of CO2 to chemical intermediates such as formic acid or molecules such as ethylene when an electrical potential is applied to the electrolytic cell.
       The membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) in an electrolyzer typically consists of an ion-conducting membrane (cation or anion exchange membrane) sandwiched between two electrodes consisting of an electrocatalyst and an ion-conducting polymer.
       Using the team’s expertise in fuel cell technologies and hydrogen electrolysis, they studied several MEA configurations in electrolytic cells to compare the electrochemical reduction of CO2 to formic acid.
       Based on failure analysis of various designs, the team sought to exploit the limitations of existing material sets, particularly the lack of ion rejection in current anion exchange membranes, and simplify the overall system design.
        Invention by K.S. Neierlin and Leiming Hu of NREL was an improved MEA electrolyzer using a new perforated cation exchange membrane. This perforated membrane provides consistent, highly selective formic acid production and simplifies design by using off-the-shelf components.
        “The results of this study represent a paradigm shift in the electrochemical production of organic acids such as formic acid,” said co-author Neierlin. “The perforated membrane structure reduces the complexity of previous designs and can also be used to improve the energy efficiency and durability of other electrochemical carbon dioxide conversion devices.”
        As with any scientific breakthrough, it is important to understand the cost factors and economic feasibility. Working across departments, NREL researchers Zhe Huang and Tao Ling presented a techno-economic analysis identifying ways to achieve cost parity with today’s industrial formic acid production processes when the cost of renewable electricity is at or below 2.3 cents per kilowatt-hour.
       “The team achieved these results using commercially available catalysts and polymer membrane materials, while creating an MEA design that takes advantage of the scalability of modern fuel cells and hydrogen electrolysis plants,” Neierlin said.
       “The results of this research could help convert carbon dioxide into fuels and chemicals using renewable electricity and hydrogen, accelerating the transition to scale-up and commercialization.”
       Electrochemical conversion technologies are a core element of NREL’s Electrons to Molecules program, which focuses on next-generation renewable hydrogen, zero fuels, chemicals and materials for electrically driven processes.
        “Our program is exploring ways to use renewable electricity to convert molecules such as carbon dioxide and water into compounds that can serve as energy sources,” said Randy Cortright, director of NREL’s electron transfer and/or precursors strategy for fuel production. or chemicals.”
       “This electrochemical conversion research provides a breakthrough that can be used in a range of electrochemical conversion processes, and we look forward to more promising results from this group.”
        Further information: Leiming Hu et al., Scalable membrane electrode assembly architecture for efficient electrochemical conversion of CO2 to formic acid, Nature Communications (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43409-6
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