Electroreduction of diluted CO2 to multicarbon products with high carbon utilization at 800 mA cm–2 in strongly acidic media

Xue-Rong Qin, Jing-Jing Li, Lin-Lin Wang, Huan Liu, Zuo-Tao Yang, Guo-Jin Feng, Xiao-Ran Wang, Xuan-Xuan Cheng, Chao Zhang, Zi-You Yu () and Tong-Bu Lu ()
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Xue-Rong Qin: Tianjin University of Technology
Jing-Jing Li: Tianjin University of Technology
Lin-Lin Wang: Tianjin University of Technology
Huan Liu: Tianjin University of Technology
Zuo-Tao Yang: Tianjin University of Technology
Guo-Jin Feng: Tianjin University of Technology
Xiao-Ran Wang: Tianjin University of Technology
Xuan-Xuan Cheng: Tianjin University of Technology
Chao Zhang: Tianjin University of Technology
Zi-You Yu: Tianjin University of Technology
Tong-Bu Lu: Tianjin University of Technology

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract Acidic CO2 electroreduction using diluted CO2 (as in flue gas) as the feedstock can simultaneously circumvent the CO2 purification step and lower the carbon loss in conventional alkaline or neutral electrolyte, and thus is highly desired but has rarely been achieved thus far. Herein, we report a simple and general strategy using an imidazolium-based anion-exchange ionomer as the coating layer, which could enrich the diluted CO2 to generate a high local CO2 concentration, and simultaneously block the proton transport to the cathode surface to suppress the competing hydrogen evolution reaction. As a result, the ionomer-modified Cu catalyst can achieve an efficient electroreduction of diluted CO2 (15 vol% CO2) to multicarbon (C2+) products in strong acid (pH 0.8), with a high C2+ Faradaic efficiency of 70.5% and a high single-pass carbon efficiency of 73.6% at a current density of 800 mA cm–2, competitive with that obtained with pure CO2. These findings provide opportunity for the direct electrochemical conversion of flue gas into valuable products with high efficiency.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-59783-2

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