Ambipolar Ion Transport Membranes Enable Stable Noble‐Metal‐Free CO <sub>2</sub> Electrolysis in Neutral Media
Abstract Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) electrolysis traditionally relies on monopolar ion‐exchange membranes, including anion exchange membranes (AEM), cation exchange membranes (CEM), and a layered juxtaposition of two such monopolar membranes (bipolar membrane, BPM). The monopolar approach has worked well in water electrolysis in alkaline and acidic environments; however, in CO 2 electrolysis, alkaline conditions promote carbonate formation, reducing stability, while acidic media favor competing hydrogen evolution reaction. Here, ambipolar ion transport membranes (AITMs) are reported in CO 2 electrolysis. AITMs facilitate the free movement of ions and water between the cathode and anode, enabling stable CO 2 electrolysis with highly concentrated electrolytes. This results in low operating cell voltages and compatibility with Earth‐abundant anodes in pH‐neutral electrolytes. Using a membrane electrode assembly cell, the electrochemical CO 2 reduction is demonstrated in neutral media with a benchmark copper‐sputtered polytetrafluoroethylene cathode and a nickel anode, achieving a high Faradaic efficiency of 75% for C 2 products. This system operates at a current density of 110 mA cm −2 and a cell voltage of 3.15 V, maintaining a stable performance with a total operation exceeding 950 h. This work provides a pathway for stable CO 2 conversion at relatively high current densities using Earth‐abundant materials.
Authors
- Tu N. Nguyen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8053-1455)
- Jackson Crane (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6573-7335)
- Hongchang Lai
- Cao‐Thang Dinh (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9641-9815)
- Edward Hartley Sargent (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0396-6495)
- Viktoria Golovanova (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4008-0733)
- Francisco Pelayo García de Arquer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2422-6234)
- Anh‐Dao Ho
- Eduardo Henrique Dias (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6018-9007)
- Trong Huy Pham
- Lu Xia (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2726-5389)
- David Sinton
- Ngoc Kim Dang
Institutions
- Institute of Photonic Sciences (ES)
- University of Toronto (CA)
- Queen's University (CA)
- Institute of Physics (PL)
- Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science (MD)
- Kingston Health Sciences Centre (CA)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Advanced Energy Materials
- Published
- 2025-10-10
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.202504286
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- CO2 Reduction Techniques and Catalysts
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.36