Fundamentals of Gas Diffusion Electrodes and Electrolysers for Carbon Dioxide Utilisation: Challenges and Opportunities
Electrocatalysis plays a prominent role in the development of carbon dioxide utilisation technologies. Many new and improved CO<sub>2</sub> conversion catalysts have been developed in recent years, progressively achieving better performance. However, within this flourishing field, a disc...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-06-01
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| Series: | Catalysts |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4344/10/6/713 |
| _version_ | 1797564094861017088 |
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| author | Sandra Hernandez-Aldave Enrico Andreoli |
| author_facet | Sandra Hernandez-Aldave Enrico Andreoli |
| author_sort | Sandra Hernandez-Aldave |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Electrocatalysis plays a prominent role in the development of carbon dioxide utilisation technologies. Many new and improved CO<sub>2</sub> conversion catalysts have been developed in recent years, progressively achieving better performance. However, within this flourishing field, a disconnect in catalyst performance evaluation has emerged as the Achilles heel of CO<sub>2</sub> electrolysis. Too often, catalysts are assessed in electrochemical settings that are far removed from industrially relevant operational conditions, where CO<sub>2</sub> mass transport limitations should be minimised. To overcome this issue, gas diffusion electrodes and gas-fed electrolysers need to be developed and applied, presenting new challenges and opportunities to the CO<sub>2</sub> electrolysis community. In this review, we introduce the reader to the fundamentals of gas diffusion electrodes and gas-fed electrolysers, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages. We discuss in detail the design of gas diffusion electrodes and their operation within gas-fed electrolysers in both flow-through and flow-by configurations. Then, we correlate the structure and composition of gas diffusion electrodes to the operational performance of electrolysers, indicating options and prospects for improvement. Overall, this study will equip the reader with the fundamental understanding required to enhance and optimise CO<sub>2</sub> catalysis beyond the laboratory scale. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:52:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a46845e83e6246969ccc2ec3127aeb12 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4344 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:52:34Z |
| publishDate | 2020-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Catalysts |
| spelling | doaj.art-a46845e83e6246969ccc2ec3127aeb122023-11-20T05:01:06ZengMDPI AGCatalysts2073-43442020-06-0110671310.3390/catal10060713Fundamentals of Gas Diffusion Electrodes and Electrolysers for Carbon Dioxide Utilisation: Challenges and OpportunitiesSandra Hernandez-Aldave0Enrico Andreoli1Energy Safety Research Institute, College of Engineering, Swansea University, Bay Campus, Fabian Way, Swansea SA1 8EN, UKEnergy Safety Research Institute, College of Engineering, Swansea University, Bay Campus, Fabian Way, Swansea SA1 8EN, UKElectrocatalysis plays a prominent role in the development of carbon dioxide utilisation technologies. Many new and improved CO<sub>2</sub> conversion catalysts have been developed in recent years, progressively achieving better performance. However, within this flourishing field, a disconnect in catalyst performance evaluation has emerged as the Achilles heel of CO<sub>2</sub> electrolysis. Too often, catalysts are assessed in electrochemical settings that are far removed from industrially relevant operational conditions, where CO<sub>2</sub> mass transport limitations should be minimised. To overcome this issue, gas diffusion electrodes and gas-fed electrolysers need to be developed and applied, presenting new challenges and opportunities to the CO<sub>2</sub> electrolysis community. In this review, we introduce the reader to the fundamentals of gas diffusion electrodes and gas-fed electrolysers, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages. We discuss in detail the design of gas diffusion electrodes and their operation within gas-fed electrolysers in both flow-through and flow-by configurations. Then, we correlate the structure and composition of gas diffusion electrodes to the operational performance of electrolysers, indicating options and prospects for improvement. Overall, this study will equip the reader with the fundamental understanding required to enhance and optimise CO<sub>2</sub> catalysis beyond the laboratory scale.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4344/10/6/713CO<sub>2</sub> electrocatalysisgas diffusion electrodesgas-fed electrolysers |
| spellingShingle | Sandra Hernandez-Aldave Enrico Andreoli Fundamentals of Gas Diffusion Electrodes and Electrolysers for Carbon Dioxide Utilisation: Challenges and Opportunities Catalysts CO<sub>2</sub> electrocatalysis gas diffusion electrodes gas-fed electrolysers |
| title | Fundamentals of Gas Diffusion Electrodes and Electrolysers for Carbon Dioxide Utilisation: Challenges and Opportunities |
| title_full | Fundamentals of Gas Diffusion Electrodes and Electrolysers for Carbon Dioxide Utilisation: Challenges and Opportunities |
| title_fullStr | Fundamentals of Gas Diffusion Electrodes and Electrolysers for Carbon Dioxide Utilisation: Challenges and Opportunities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fundamentals of Gas Diffusion Electrodes and Electrolysers for Carbon Dioxide Utilisation: Challenges and Opportunities |
| title_short | Fundamentals of Gas Diffusion Electrodes and Electrolysers for Carbon Dioxide Utilisation: Challenges and Opportunities |
| title_sort | fundamentals of gas diffusion electrodes and electrolysers for carbon dioxide utilisation challenges and opportunities |
| topic | CO<sub>2</sub> electrocatalysis gas diffusion electrodes gas-fed electrolysers |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4344/10/6/713 |
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