A High-Performance Continuous Flow MEA Reactor for Electroreduction CO2 to Formate

The electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO 2 RR) to liquid fuels and industrial chemicals represents a promising approach to the environmental remediation of carbon emissions and utilizing intermittent renewable electricity. However, the traditional device of electrolysis CO 2 is seriously limited by low CO 2 solubility, large PH gradient and high ohmic resistance due to the large distance between two electrodes, which is not applicable to industrial production. Herein, we demonstrate a high-performance continuous flow membranes electrode assembly (MEA) reactor based a self-growing Cu-Sn bimetallic electrocatalysts in the liquid-phase to electroreduction of CO 2 to formate. We then via testing different electrolyzer structure explore the best performance of the flow MEA reactor, and compare with H-type cell. Notably, the reactor is designed not only greatly increase current density (66.41 mA cm -2 ) at -1.11 V RHE , but also maintain high Faraday efficiency (89.56%), and that can effective separation of the gaseous/liquid production. And then, we achieve the production rate of 1 L CO 2 to formate (163 μmol h -1 cm -2 ) at working electrode at -0.97 V RHE and cell voltage at 3.17 V after 20 hours electrolysis. This present study provides a novel reactor can maximize the use of catalyst activity for electrochemical CO 2 RR and other emerging electrochemical catalysis research.