New Research on Electrochemical CO2 Reduction

A paper recently published in The Journal of Physical Chemistry and co-authored by Lawrence Berkeley National Lab researcher Adam Weber looks at the effects of electrolyte buffer capacity in electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction.

The study used both experimental and simulation approaches to show how the buffer capacity of electrolytes affects the kinetics and equilibrium of surface reactant species and the resulting reaction rate of CO2 with varying partial CO2 pressure. The work helped confirm aspects such as the importance of local pH, which is not in acid/base equilibrium; the impact of buffer identity and kinetics; and the mass-transport boundary-layer thickness. The gained understanding from this research can help optimize CO2 reduction in aqueous environments.