Energy Savings in the Conversion of CO2 to Fuels using an Electrolytic Device

We describe the realization of an electrolyzer for the electroreduction of CO2 to useful hydrocarbons and carboxylates such as CH4, C2H4, and HCOO-. The device uses a molecular copper phthalocyanine-based cathode, an anion exchange membrane, and a nanostructured Pd@Ti anode. The key advantage of this device is the exploitation of anodic alcohol oxidation instead of water oxidation. The lower operating cell potential due to the presence of ethanol leads to a net reduction in energy consumption, from 130 kWh to 77 kWh (per kg of hydrocarbon product mixture), in comparison to the cell operating with oxygen evolution.