Diaphragm-based carbon monoxide electrolyzers for multicarbon production under alkaline conditions.

ABSTRACT: Transforming waste carbon into valuable fuels and chemicals is a key step toward sustainable manufacturing. One promising approach is the electrochemical conversion of carbon monoxide (CO), a product of CO₂ recycling, into energy-rich multicarbon (C₂₊) compounds. However, current CO electrolyzers rely on anion exchange membranes (AEMs) that degrade over time when exposed to organic intermediates, limiting their practical use. Here we show that low-cost diaphragm materials, such as Zirfon, can serve as robust alternatives to AEMs in alkaline CO electrolysis. We evaluate a range of diaphragms and identify candidates that match or exceed the performance of commercial AEMs across a wide range of operating conditions (50 to 400 mA cm^-2). At 60 °C, Zirfon-based c

SUBMITTER: Deng W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12475119 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature