Minimizing Catalyst Loading for Efficient Electrolysis of Carbon Capture Solution to CO

Direct electrolysis of a CO₂ absorption solution (i.e., bicarbonates solution) has emerged as a promising strategy for integrating carbon capture and utilization technologies, bypassing the need for CO₂ recovery and pressurization processes prior to electrolysis. During the bicarbonate electrolysis, CO₂ is generated in situ as bicarbonate reacts with protons from the membrane within an electrolyzer, resulting in higher CO₂ utilization efficiency compared to conventional CO₂ electrolysis. However, the high loadings of precious metal catalyst, typically around 4.0 mg cm^-2, represent a significant limitation. Herein, we utilized a cost-effective flame spray pyrolysis (FSP) technique to deposit silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) onto carbon cloth, followed by coating of commercial AgNPs (Cml-AgNPs). Benefiting from high surface area and uniform coverage, the cathode with FSP + Cml-AgNPs achieves comparable CO selectivity with only one-third of the AgNPs loading required for conventional airbrush deposition. Leveraging the high catalyst performance and uniform particle dispersion of FSP, this electrode preparation method presents a scalable and economical solution for bicarbonate electrolysis and electrochemical CO₂ conversion.