Membrane Architecture for Gas and Ion Transport for Electrochemical Applications 2017-034

APPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY:

• Reducing carbon dioxide electrochemically
• Producing renewable commodity chemicals and fuels

ADVANTAGES:

• Better gas transport than liquid electrolyte
• Scalable design
• Incorporates polymers with ability to transport multiple types of ions

ABSTRACT:

Researchers at Cyclotron Road, a Department of Energy (DOE) Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), have developed a technology to electrochemically reduce reactants such as carbon dioxide.

The apparatus, a novel membrane electrode assembly, overcomes earlier barriers to electrochemical approaches by transporting reactants, such as carbon dioxide, to the catalyst surface as a gas, rather than in a liquid, for better transport and higher production rates. The conversion process occurs near room temperature and ambient pressure. The technology can be scaled easily, making it applicable to a range of input volumes.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Kuhl, K., Hatsukade, T., Cave, E., Abram, D., Kibsgaard, J., and Jaramillo, T. “Electrocatalytic conversion of carbon dioxide to methane and methanol on transition metal surfaces,” J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2014, 136, 14107-14113.

Kuhl, K., Cave, E., Abram, D., and Jaramillo, T. “New insights into the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide on metallic copper surface,” Energy Environ. Sci., 2012, 5, 7050-7059.

DEVELOPMENT STAGE: A prototype has exceeded carbon dioxide reduction of other research-stage designs that are based on liquid electrolytes. The research team has demonstrated the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide to a mixture of products.

STATUS: Patent pending. Available for licensing or collaborative research.