Enhancing CO<sub>2</sub> electrolysis through synergistic control of non-stoichiometry and doping to tune cathode surface structures.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 28300066.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/ncomms14785 and PMC identifier 5357311.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Sustainable future energy scenarios require significant efficiency improvements in both electricity generation and storage. High-temperature solid oxide cells, and in particular carbon dioxide electrolysers, afford chemical storage of available electricity that can both stabilize and extend the utilization of renewables. Here we present a double doping strategy to facilitate CO<sub>2</sub> reduction at perovskite titanate cathode surfaces, promoting adsorption/activation by making use of redox active dopants such as Mn linked to oxygen vacancies and dopants such as Ni that afford metal nanoparticle exsolution. Combined experimental characterization and first-principle calculations reveal that the adsorbed and activated CO<sub>2</sub> adopts an intermediate chemical state between a carbon dioxide molecule and a carbonate ion. The dual doping strategy provides optimal performance with no degradation being observed after 100 h of high-temperature operation and 10 redox cycles, suggesting a reliable cathode material for CO<sub>2</sub> electrolysis.