Industrial CO2 electroreduction to ethylene: Main technical challenges

• Published in: Current opinion in electrochemistry Vol. 44; p. 101438
• Main Author: Schreiber, Moritz W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01-04-2024
• Subjects: CO2 electroreduction; Energy efficiency; Industrial; Potential; Stability; Technical challenges; Technical challenges; CO2 electroreduction; Energy efficiency; Stability; Potential; Industrial
• ISSN: 2451-9103; 2451-9111
• DOI: 10.1016/j.coelec.2023.101438

CO2 electroreduction to ethylene has the potential to outperform competing CO2 utilization pathways to olefins. The main technical challenges for the industrial viability of electrochemical CO2 conversion to ethylene are achieving electrolyzer potential and stability comparable to H2O electrolyzers. Potentials typically observed to date are above 3 V and need to be lowered towards 2 V. Typical contributions to the cell potential and reported strategies to reduce them are presented in this review. The importance of complete analyses of potential contributions is highlighted. Stable operation of up to 190 h has been reached so far, but efforts are required to extend these durations to the range of 60,000–90,000 h. The main deactivation phenomena observed to date and strategies to mitigate them are outlined in this review. The importance of developing accelerated aging tests in conjunction with traditional long-term stability tests is emphasized.