Ultrathin proton exchange membranes with enhanced dimensional stability towards acidic CO₂ electroreduction

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Acidic CO2 electrolysis is crucial for sustainable chemical production.
• Developing efficient membranes is key to optimizing CO2 reduction and suppressing side reactions like the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER).
• Existing membranes often face challenges with stability and conductivity in acidic media.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate an ultrathin MIL-110@SPEEK composite membrane for acidic CO2 electrolysis.
• To investigate the membrane's impact on CO2 conversion efficiency and HER suppression.
• To enhance both proton conductivity and mechanical robustness for improved device performance.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of ultrathin MIL-110@SPEEK composite membranes.
• Characterization of membrane properties (proton conductivity, mechanical strength).
• Electrochemical testing of the membrane in an acidic CO2 electrolysis cell.

Main Results:

• The MIL-110@SPEEK membrane exhibited regulated proton conductivity.
• Enhanced mechanical properties were observed in the composite membrane.
• The membrane effectively promoted CO2 conversion while suppressing the HER.

Conclusions:

• The ultrathin MIL-110@SPEEK membrane offers a promising solution for efficient acidic CO2 electrolysis.
• The material design enhances key performance metrics for CO2 reduction.
• This advancement contributes to the development of next-generation CO2 utilization technologies.