An Electrochemical Platform for the Carbon Dioxide Capture and Conversion to Syngas

We report on a simple electrochemical system able to capture gaseous carbon dioxide from a gas mixture and convert it into syngas. The capture/release module is implemented via regeneration of NaOH and acidification of NaHCO3 inside a four-chamber electrochemical flow cell employing Pt foils as catalysts, while the conversion is carried out by a coupled reactor that performs electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide using ZnO as a catalyst and KHCO3 as an electrolyte. The capture module is optimized such that, powered by a current density of 100 mA/cm2, from a mixture of the CO2–N2 gas stream, a pure and stable CO2 outlet flow of 4–5 mL/min is obtained. The conversion module is able to convert the carbon dioxide into a mixture of gaseous CO and H2 (syngas) with a selectivity for the carbon monoxide of 56%. This represents the first all-electrochemical system for carbon dioxide capture and conversion.

Gas evolution in electrochemical flow cell reactors induces resistance gradients with consequences for the positioning of the reference electrode

The gas evolution during electrolysis in flow cells results in inhomogeneous distributions of resistance, current and voltage along the flow axis.

Electrochemical Flow Cell to Detect Li-ion Battery Crosstalk Reactions

While the Li-ion battery has been engineered over the last four decades to improve energy capacity, power density, and device safety, the useful lifetime of this essential energy storage technology has not progressed as much. This is largely due to experimental challenges of studying, characterizing, and understanding the SEI: the battery `component' most vital to ageing and failure. More importantly for the goal of improving Li-ion battery lifetime, researchers have lacked adequate diagnostic tools for studying how the SEI fails. Here we demonstrate a prototype electrochemical flow cell for the specific application of detecting crosstalk reactions in advanced Li-ion battery chemistries. We develop a generator-collector approach to understanding battery crosstalk and leverage finite-element simulations to guide design of this novel reactor. After calibrating the device using a known redox couple, the device is cycled under varying electrode configurations to detect capacity fade induced by the metal dissolution crosstalk mechanism. The path forward will involve adding new product detection capabilities and engineering a reactor environment that replicates a sealed Li-ion battery.