Carbon Utilization through Renewable Electrolysis in Acidic, Alkali-Free System

Objective

Rising CO2 emissions are a major global challenge, and current methods for converting CO2 into useful products are not efficient enough. Conventional electrochemical systems, which rely on alkaline or near-neutral conditions, can achieve activity and selectivity but suffer from severe CO2 loss, low single pass utilization, poor stability, and costly product separation. CURE seeks to develop a new type of CO2 electrolyzer that is both carbon- and energy-efficient by combining innovations at the system (novel membrane concepts to control proton availability) aRising CO2 emissions pose a significant global challenge, and current methods for converting CO2 into useful products are not sufficiently efficient. Conventional electrochemical systems, which rely on alkaline or near-neutral conditions, can achieve activity and selectivity but suffer from severe CO2 loss, low single pass utilization, poor stability, and costly product separation. The CURE project advances an ambitious vision to develop a new type of acidic CO2 electrolyzer that is both carbon- and energy-efficient. Its design combines three innovations: proton transport tunable membranes to suppress hydrogen evolution while maintaining CO2 reduction, non-metal cations at catalyst interfaces to stabilize reaction intermediates and promote carbon-carbon coupling, and optimized membrane electrode assemblies that integrate cathode, anode, and membrane for long term stability and scalability. This new approach will deliver an acidic CO2 electrolysis platform with 100% single pass CO2 utilization, ≥50% selectivity toward multicarbon products, and ≥500 hours of stability, representing a fivefold improvement over the state of the art. Beyond technological breakthroughs, CURE will establish design principles that accelerate the deployment of next-generation CO2 electrolyzers, accelerating the deployment of sustainable electrochemical technologies and contributing to Europe's transition toward a carbon-neutral economy.