Use of a porous recycling layer for co2 electroreduction to multicarbon products with high conversion efficiency

A membrane electrode assembly for the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide comprising:

• a multilayer cathode comprising a gas diffusion layer, a cathode catalyst layer disposed on the gas diffusion layer, and a permeable carbon dioxide regeneration layer comprising an anion exchange ionomer disposed on the cathode catalyst layer;
• an anode comprising an anode catalyst layer;
• and
• at least one layer of a cation exchange membrane disposed between the permeable carbon dioxide regeneration layer and the anode catalyst layer.

A bipolar membrane electrode assembly for the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide comprising:

• a multilayer cathode comprising a gas diffusion layer, a cathode catalyst layer disposed on the gas diffusion layer, and a permeable carbon dioxide regeneration layer comprising an anion exchange ionomer disposed on the cathode catalyst layer;
• an anode comprising an anode catalyst layer;
• and
• at least one layer of a cation exchange membrane and at least one layer of an anion exchange membrane disposed between the permeable carbon dioxide regeneration layer and the anode catalyst layer, wherein said at least one layer of a cation exchange membrane faces the permeable carbon dioxide regeneration layer and said at least one layer of an anion exchange membrane faces the anode catalyst layer.

A method of manufacturing a membrane electrode assembly for the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide comprising:

• depositing a cathode catalyst material onto one side of a gas diffusion layer to provide a cathode catalyst layer thereon;
• coating an anion exchange ionomer solution onto the cathode catalyst layer to provide a permeable carbon dioxide regeneration layer;
• placing at least one layer of a cation exchange membrane onto the permeable carbon dioxide regeneration layer;
• and
• placing an anode comprising on one side an anode catalyst material onto the at least one layer of a cation exchange membrane, said anode catalyst material facing the at least one layer of a cation exchange membrane.

A method of manufacturing a bipolar membrane electrode assembly for the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide comprising:

• depositing a cathode catalyst material onto one side of a gas diffusion layer to provide a cathode catalyst layer thereon;
• coating an anion exchange ionomer solution onto the cathode catalyst layer to provide a permeable carbon dioxide regeneration layer;
• placing at least one layer of a cation exchange membrane onto the permeable carbon dioxide regeneration layer;
• placing at least one layer of an anion exchange membrane onto the at least one layer of a cation exchange membrane;
• and
• placing an anode comprising on one side an anode catalyst material onto the at least one layer of an anion exchange membrane, said anode catalyst material facing the at least one layer of an anion exchange membrane.