Cox electrolyzer cell flow fields and gas diffusion layers

A COx electrolyzer system comprising:

• a cathode inlet port;
• a cathode outlet port;
• and
• one or more COx electrolyzer cells, each COx electrolyzer cell including:
• a corresponding cathode flow field,
• a corresponding membrane electrode assembly (MEA) that includes a metal nanoparticle catalyst layer,
• a corresponding cathode gas diffusion layer (GDL) interposed between the corresponding cathode flow field of that COx electrolyzer cell and the corresponding MEA of that COx electrolyzer cell, wherein:
• the one or more COx electrolyzer cells are configured to be connected with a voltage or current source so as to develop an electrical potential or current across the one or more COx electrolyzer cells,
• the corresponding cathode flow field of each COx electrolyzer cell has one or more corresponding cathode channels that are each configured to receive a cathode fluid via the cathode inlet port and to direct at least some of that cathode fluid to the cathode outlet port,
• the cathode inlet port is configured to receive gaseous COx,
• the corresponding cathode channels of the corresponding cathode flow field of each COx electrolyzer cell are in a corresponding side of the corresponding cathode flow field of that COx electrolyzer cell that is in contact with the corresponding cathode GDL of that COx electrolyzer cell,
• each cathode channel of the one or more corresponding cathode channels of the corresponding cathode flow field of each COx electrolyzer cell has a length of between 300 and 6000 mm, a cross-sectional area of between 0.15 and 6 square mm, and a width of between 0.5 and 2 mm, and
• each cathode flow field is configured to develop a pressure drop across the cathode channels thereof that is between 1 psi and 50 psi under normal operating conditions of the COx electrolyzer system.