Graceful choreography for CO2 and H2O

Electrochemistry One challenge for efficient electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) is that the gas is hydrophobic, but many of its desirable reactions require water (H2O). Garcia de Arquer et al. addressed this problem by combining a copper electrocatalyst with an ionomer assembly that intersperses sulfonate-lined paths for the H2O with fluorocarbon channels for the CO2. The electrode architecture enables production of two-carbon products such as ethylene and ethanol at current densities just over an ampere per square centimeter. Science , this issue p. [661][1] [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.aay4217