Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 11, 2026
10:15
Solar-Driven Electrochemical Green Fuel Production from CO2 and Water Using Ti3C2Tx MXene-Supported CuZn and NiCo Catalysts
Published on: November 7, 2025
417
High-Concentration Alcohol Generation in Bipolar Membrane CO Electrolyzer
Wenjin Zhu1, Qiu-Cheng Chen1, Yiqing Chen1
1Department of Chemistry and Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA.
Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)
|November 18, 2025
Summary
This study introduces a novel forward-biased bipolar membrane (FB-BPM) system for efficient electrochemical reduction of CO2 and CO into valuable liquid products like acetate and alcohols, minimizing crossover and enhancing selectivity.
Area of Science:
- Electrochemistry
- Catalysis
- Materials Science
Background:
- Electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) and carbon monoxide (CO) can produce multicarbon liquid products.
- Conventional anion exchange membrane (AEM) systems suffer from significant liquid product crossover and unwanted anodic oxidation, reducing efficiency.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an improved electrochemical system for producing multicarbon liquid products with high selectivity and minimal crossover.
- To investigate the use of a forward-biased bipolar membrane (FB-BPM) system to overcome limitations of AEMs.
Main Methods:
- Implementation of a forward-biased bipolar membrane (FB-BPM) system.
- Tuning catalyst composition (CuZn, CuSn) to modulate adsorption of *H and *OH intermediates.
- Operating the system to sustain a highly alkaline environment near the cathode.
Main Results:
- Achieved <10% liquid product crossover, significantly reducing separation costs.
- Suppressed ethylene and hydrogen production, favoring desired liquid products.
- Demonstrated >25 wt% acetate production on CuZn and >15 wt% alcohol production on CuSn directly from the cathode outlet stream.
Conclusions:
- The FB-BPM system offers a highly efficient route for electrochemical synthesis of multicarbon liquids.
- Catalyst tuning in conjunction with the FB-BPM system enables selective production of acetate and alcohols.
- This approach enhances overall efficiency and product stream purity for CO2 and CO electroreduction.
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