biostudies-literatureLarrea CSpanish Ministry of EconomyMadrid Regional Research Council (CAM) and ERDF (European Regional Development Fund)1951https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC9960053biostudies-literatureUnknown28(4)CO₂ electrochemical reduction (CO₂ ER) from (bi)carbonate feed presents an opportunity to efficiently couple this process to alkaline-based carbon capture systems. Likewise, while this method of reducing CO₂ currently lags behind CO₂ gas-fed electrolysers in certain performance metrics, it offers a significant improvement in CO₂ utilization which makes the method worth exploring. This paper presents two simple modifications to a bicarbonate-fed CO₂ ER system that enhance the selectivity towards CO. Specifically, a modified hydrophilic cathode with Ag catalyst loaded through electrodeposition and the addition of dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB), a low-cost surfactant, to the catholyte enabled the system to achieve a FE_CO of 85% and 73% at 100 and 200 mA·cm^-2, respectively. The modifications were tested in 4 h long experiments where DTAB helped maintain FE_CO stable even when the pH of the catholyte became more alkaline, and it improved the CO² utilization compared to a system without DTAB.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)Strategies to Enhance CO₂ Electrochemical Reduction from Reactive Carbon Solutions.PMC9960053P2018/EMT-4344 BIOTRES-CMPID 2020-116712RBC21Larrea CAviles-Moreno JROcon PfalseStrategies to Enhance CO₂ Electrochemical Reduction from Reactive Carbon Solutions.CO₂ electrochemical reduction (CO₂ ER) from (bi)carbonate feed presents an opportunity to efficiently couple this process to alkaline-based carbon capture systems. Likewise, while this method of reducing CO₂ currently lags behind CO₂ gas-fed electrolysers in certain performance metrics, it offers a significant improvement in CO₂ utilization which makes the method worth exploring. This paper presents two simple modifications to a bicarbonate-fed CO₂ ER system that enhance the selectivity towards CO. Specifically, a modified hydrophilic cathode with Ag catalyst loaded through electrodeposition and the addition of dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB), a low-cost surfactant, to the catholyte enabled the system to achieve a FE_CO of 85% and 73% at 100 and 200 mA·cm^-2, respectively. The modifications were tested in 4 h long experiments where DTAB helped maintain FE_CO stable even when the pH of the catholyte became more alkaline, and it improved the CO² utilization compared to a system without DTAB.2023-01-01T00:00:00Z2023 Feb2025-04-04T20:54:19.194Z2025-02-18T23:57:46.605ZS-EPMC99600533683893910.3390/molecules28041951