Advanced Science· 2026Q1
Product‐Reshaped Gas‐Phase Hydrodynamics Govern CO 2 Electrolysis in Gas Diffusion Electrodes
- 1citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
CO2 electrolysis in gas diffusion electrodes is governed by reaction-induced hydrodynamic changes in the cathode gas phase, which become critical for scale-up and selective multicarbon formation.
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Key points
- CO2 electrolyzers are reacting-flow electrochemical reactors where gas-phase hydrodynamics are reshaped by electrochemical conversion.
- Product evolution (e.g., CO, ethylene) dilutes the reacting gas phase, altering its composition, density, and velocity.
- These reaction-induced hydrodynamic changes create an operating window that favors ethylene formation.
- Scale-up requires preserving spatial overlap between reactant delivery, CO generation, controlled CO consumption, and limited dilution of the reacting gas phase.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
ABSTRACT High‐rate electrolysis is commonly assessed using current density, single‐pass conversion and Faradaic efficiency, but these global metrics do not indicate whether the local reaction environment required for selective multicarbon formation is preserved during scale‐up. Using an experimentally validated, flow‐direction‐resolved continuum model of a Cu‐based gas‐diffusion‐electrode (GDE) flow‐cell system, we demonstrate that gas‐fed electrolysers behave as reacting‐flow electrochemical reactors in which electrochemical conversion transforms the gas phase in the cathode compartment and makes it part of the reactor response. As cathode potential becomes more negative, consumption, CO formation and consumption, and gaseous product evolution progressively dilute the ‐rich reacting gas phase, altering gas composition, density and velocity and feeding back into reactant delivery and intermediate availability. This reaction‐induced hydrodynamic response creates an operating window favoring ethylene formation and reveals a conservation‐driven feedback that becomes unavoidable during scale‐up: as electrode length, conversion and gaseous product formation increase, extended electrodes must preserve the spatial overlap between delivery, CO generation, controlled CO consumption and limited dilution of the reacting gas phase.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Advanced Science, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the EnvironmentEnergy