Visualization of CO2 electrolysis using optical coherence tomography

Electrolysers offer an appealing technology for conversion of CO2 into high-value chemicals. However, there are few tools available to track the reactions that occur within electrolysers. Here we report an electrolysis optical coherence tomography platform to visualize the chemical reactions occurring in a CO2 electrolyser. This platform was designed to capture three-dimensional images and videos at high spatial and temporal resolutions. We recorded 12 h of footage of an electrolyser containing a porous electrode separated by a membrane, converting a continuous feed of liquid KHCO3 to reduce CO2 into CO at applied current densities of 50–800 mA cm−2. This platform visualized reactants, intermediates and products, and captured the strikingly dynamic movement of the cathode and membrane components during electrolysis. It also linked CO production to regions of the electrolyser in which CO2 was in direct contact with both membrane and catalyst layers. These results highlight how this platform can be used to track reactions in continuous flow electrochemical reactors. Electrolysers can upgrade CO2 into high-value chemicals, but there are few tools capable of tracking the reactions that occur within these devices during operation. Now an electrolysis optical coherence tomography platform has been developed to visualize the electrochemical conversion of CO2 to CO, plus the movement of components, within the device.