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...
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| author | Guoqing You Yunzhi Li Lihan Dong Yichun Li Yu Zhang |
| author_facet | Guoqing You Yunzhi Li Lihan Dong Yichun Li Yu Zhang |
| author_sort | Guoqing You |
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| description | 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. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6c5cdcdfc50e4936af911cadc857258a |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj-art-6c5cdcdfc50e4936af911cadc857258a2025-08-20T03:24:39ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732025-06-011812303910.3390/en18123039Research on the Characteristics of Electrolytes in Integrated Carbon Capture and Utilization Systems: The Key to Promoting the Development of Green and Low-Carbon TechnologiesGuoqing You0Yunzhi Li1Lihan Dong2Yichun Li3Yu Zhang4School of Energy Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, ChinaSchool of Energy Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, ChinaSchool of Energy Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, ChinaSchool of Energy Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, ChinaSchool of Energy Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, ChinaThe 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.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/12/3039ICCUeCO<sub>2</sub>RRelectrolyte design |
| spellingShingle | Guoqing You Yunzhi Li Lihan Dong Yichun Li Yu Zhang 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 Energies ICCU eCO<sub>2</sub>RR electrolyte design |
| title | 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 |
| title_full | 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 |
| title_fullStr | 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 |
| title_full_unstemmed | 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 |
| title_short | 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 |
| title_sort | 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 |
| topic | ICCU eCO<sub>2</sub>RR electrolyte design |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/12/3039 |
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