Research on the Characteristics of Electrolytes in Integrated Carbon Capture and Utilization Systems: The Key to Promoting the Development of Green and Low-Carbon Technologies
The core challenge of integrated carbon capture and utilization (ICCU) technology lies in developing electrolytes that combine efficient carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) capture with electrocatalytic conversion capabilities. This review analyzes the structure–performance relationship betw...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-06-01
|
| Series: | Energies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/12/3039 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | The core challenge of integrated carbon capture and utilization (ICCU) technology lies in developing electrolytes that combine efficient carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) capture with electrocatalytic conversion capabilities. This review analyzes the structure–performance relationship between electrolyte properties and CO<sub>2</sub> electrochemical reduction (eCO<sub>2</sub>RR), revealing the key regulatory mechanisms. Research shows that the performance of bicarbonate electrolytes heavily depends on the cation type, where Cs<sup>+</sup> can achieve over 90% CO selectivity by suppressing the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and stabilizing reaction intermediates, though its strong corrosiveness limits practical applications. Although amine absorbents excel in carbon capture (efficiency > 90%), they tend to undergo competitive adsorption during electrocatalysis, making formic acid the primary product (FE = 15%); modifying electrodes with ionomers can enhance their activity by 1.15 times. Ionic liquids (ILs) demonstrate unique advantages due to their tunability: imidazolium-based ILs improve formate selectivity to 85% via carboxylate intermediate formation, while amino-functionalized task-specific ILs (TSILs) achieve a 1:1 stoichiometric CO<sub>2</sub> absorption ratio. Recent breakthroughs reveal that ternary IL hybrid electrolytes can achieve nearly 100% CO Faradaic efficiency (FE) through microenvironment modulation, while L-histidine additives boost CH<sub>4</sub> selectivity by 23% via interface modification. Notably, constructing a “bulk acidic–interfacial neutral” pH gradient system addresses carbonate deposition issues in traditional alkaline conditions, increasing C<sub>2+</sub> product efficiency to 50%. Studies also highlight that cation–anion synergy (e.g., K<sup>+</sup>/I<sup>−</sup>) significantly enhances C-C coupling through electrostatic interactions, achieving 97% C<sub>2+</sub> selectivity on Ag electrodes. These findings provide new insights for ICCU electrolyte design, with future research focusing on machine learning-assisted material optimization and reactor engineering to advance industrial applications. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1996-1073 |