Comparative Study on Electrochemical and Thermochemical Pathways for Carbonaceous Fuel Generation Using Sunlight and Air

Xu, Da1; Sullivan, Ian2; Xiang, Chengxiang2; Lin, Meng1

2022-10-01

10.1021/acssuschemeng.2c03230

ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering   Impact Factor & Quartile

2168-0485

A comparative study on the solar-to-fuel (STF) conversion efficiency of electrochemical and thermochemical approaches for methane (CH4), methanol (MeOH), and ethanol (EtOH) generation using sunlight and air was performed. The system level STF conversion efficiency studied herein took into account of both the conversion processes and feedstock capture processes. In particular, the feedstock, CO2 and H2O, in this analysis were assumed to be captured from air. For thermochemical conversion, one and two-step approaches were considered including CH4 generation from the Sabatier reaction, and two-step processes for methanol (MeOH) and ethanol (EtOH) generation from CO and H2 coupled with the reverse water gas shift reaction (rWGS). State-of-the-art electrochemical and hybrid electrochemical-thermochemical processes for CH4, MeOH and EtOH generation, and the corresponding system level STF conversion efficiency were then compared and contrasted to the thermochemical approaches. Target overpotentials and Faradaic efficiency (FE) for the electrochemical CO2 reduction reactions was also presented to compete with thermochemical approaches at different operating scenarios.

Electrochemical CO2 reduction Thermochemical CO2 reduction Solar-to-fuel efficiency Carbonaceous fuel Direct air capture

SCI

English

First ; Corresponding

U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, and Fuels from Sunlight Hub[DE- SC0021266] ; National Natural Science Foundation of China[52006097]

Chemistry ; Science & Technology - Other Topics ; Engineering

Chemistry, Multidisciplinary ; Green & Sustainable Science & Technology ; Engineering, Chemical

WOS:000871020900001

AMER CHEMICAL SOC

Web of Science

1.Southern Univ Sci & Technol, Dept Mech & Energy Engn, Shenzhen 518055, Peoples R China
2.CALTECH, Dept Appl Phys & Mat Sci, Liquid Sunlight Alliance, Pasadena, CA 91125 USA

Xu, Da,Sullivan, Ian,Xiang, Chengxiang,et al. Comparative Study on Electrochemical and Thermochemical Pathways for Carbonaceous Fuel Generation Using Sunlight and Air[J]. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering,2022.

Xu, Da,Sullivan, Ian,Xiang, Chengxiang,&Lin, Meng.(2022).Comparative Study on Electrochemical and Thermochemical Pathways for Carbonaceous Fuel Generation Using Sunlight and Air.ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering.

Xu, Da,et al."Comparative Study on Electrochemical and Thermochemical Pathways for Carbonaceous Fuel Generation Using Sunlight and Air".ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering (2022).