Membrane Engineering Reveals Descriptors of CO2 Electroreduction in an Electrolyzer

Abstract

Anion exchange membranes (AEMs) and ionomers are keys for electrochemical CO2 reduction (eCO2R), but their development and multiple roles have not been intensively investigated. This study demonstrates HQPC-tmIM, a polycarbazole-based anion-conducting material, as a commercially viable AEM and reveals through multiphysics model simulation key descriptors governing eCO2R by exploiting the extraordinary membrane properties of HQPC-tmIM. The mechanical/chemical stability of HQPC-tmIM showed superior eCO2R performance in a membrane electrode assembly electrolyzer (MEA) in comparison to a commercial AEM (Sustainion). The CO partial current density (jCO) of -603 mA cm-2 on HQPC-tmIM MEA is more than twice that of Sustainion MEA and is achieved by only introducing HQPC-tmIM AEM and binder. The mutiphysics model revealed that the well-constructed membrane morphology of HQPC-tmIM leads to the outstanding membrane conductivity, and it enables high jCO through the facilitated charge transfer in overall reactions. This research suggests guidelines for developing a commercially viable AEM and ionomer for eCO2R.