Chinese researchers say electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction will produce carbon neustral ethanol

In China, electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (eCO2RR) to produce value-added multi-carbon (C2+) products, especially ethanol, represents an effective strategy for sustainable energy conversion and achieving carbon neutrality. Although copper (Cu) is the standard electrocatalyst for C2+ product formation, it has inherent limitations related to its density, mechanical strength, susceptibility to corrosive environments, and the ongoing challenge of attaining high C2+ selectivity and operational stability. This situation calls for the exploration of innovative catalytic architectures.

To tackle these significant challenges, a recent by researchers from the Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry (XTIPC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, introduces basalt fiber fabric (BFF) as a novel and high-performance support for Cu electrocatalysts. This study was published in the journal Energy.