Comparing Intrinsic Catalytic Activity and Practical Performance of Ni- and Pt-Based Alkaline Anion Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzer Cathodes

The stringent cost and performance requirements of renewable hydrogen production systems dictate that electrolyzers benefit from the use of nonprecious catalysts only if they deliver the same level of...

pubs.acs.org

CO2 Capture via Electrochemical pH-Mediated Systems

The rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations necessitate energy-efficient, modular, and low-cost approaches to CO2 capture. Conventional CO2 capture methods swing the CO2 absorption capacity by modulatin...

pubs.acs.org

Filament-Induced Failure in Lithium-Reservoir-Free Solid-State Batteries

Lithium-reservoir-free solid-state batteries can fail due to electrical shorting as a result of fracture and lithium metal filament formation. Mechanical stress at the solid electrolyte surface can induce fractures, which promote lithium filament growth. This stress arises from both electrochemical sources, due to lithium electrodeposition, and mechanical sources, such as external stack pressure. Solid electrolyte surface roughness and the applied stack pressure together affect stress development. This study combines electrochemical experiments, 3D synchrotron imaging, and mesoscale modeling to explore how stack pressure influences failure mechanisms in lithium free solid-state batteries. At low stack pressure, irregular lithium plating and the resulting high local current density drive failure. At higher stack pressure, uniform lithium plating is favored; however, notch-like features in the surface of the solid electrolyte experience high tensile stress, leading to fractures that cause premature short-circuiting.

pubs.acs.org

Will a new generation of water-splitting devices help green hydrogen replace fossil fuels?

Green hydrogen production will must increase 300-fold to help forestall dangerous climate change

science.org

NSF Implementation of Recent Executive Orders

Information for the NSF community regarding executive orders.

nsf.gov

Comparing Advanced Bipolar Membranes for High-Current Electrodialysis and Membrane Electrolysis

Advanced bipolar membranes (BPMs) with low water-dissociation overpotential (ηwd) may enable new electrochemical technologies for electrolysis, fuel cells, acid–base synthesis, brine remediation, lith...

pubs.acs.org

Preventing Salt Formation in Zero-Gap CO2 Electrolyzers by Quantifying Cation Accumulation

The electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) in a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) efficiently turns CO2 into a feedstock. However, unfavorable steady-state concentrations of ions in the catho...

pubs.acs.org

Princeton Engineering - Three faculty members honored by the White House

Three engineering faculty members — Kelsey Hatzell, Aleksandra Korolova and Olga Russakovsky — have been awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for

bit.ly

Electrothermal Carbon Capture and Utilization─A Review

The rising carbon footprint has made it crucial to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions by adopting carbon capture and utilization processes using solid sorbents. However, traditional techniques face challenges for large-scale deployment because of high energy and oversized separation unit requirements. Electrothermal swing adsorption uses conductive sorbent materials or conductive heating elements (electrodes) coupled to sorbents to induce CO2 desorption through electrical currents. The electrothermal approach offers energy efficiency and modularity to enhance the economic feasibility and scalability of carbon capture processes. This review examines various materials, including sorbents, heterogeneous catalysts, electrodes, and laboratory-scale advancements through fixed bed reactors for CO2 capture and parallel wire or open foam systems for CO2 conversion. The review offers insights into material selection strategies, emphasizing considerations such as porosity, catalyst stability, and cost-effectiveness. Finally, the review highlights the importance of an integrated electrothermal CO2 capture and utilization strategy and future research areas to advance the development of this crucial technology.

pubs.acs.org

Emerging Trends and Future Opportunities for Battery Recycling

The global lithium-ion battery recycling capacity needs to increase by a factor of 50 in the next decade to meet the projected adoption of electric vehicles. During this expansion of recycling capacity, it is unclear which technologies are most appropriate to reduce costs and environmental impacts. Here, we describe the current and future recycling capacity situation and summarize methods for quantifying costs and environmental impacts of battery recycling methods with a focus on cathode active materials. Second use, electrification of pyrometallurgy and hydrometallurgy, direct recycling, and electrochemical recycling methods are discussed as leading-edge methods for overcoming state of the art battery recycling challenges. The paper ends with a discussion of future issues and considerations regarding solid-state batteries and co-optimization of battery design for recycling.

pubs.acs.org

Their Fertilizer Poisons Farmland. Now, They Want Protection From Lawsuits.

A company controlled by Goldman Sachs is helping to lead a lobbying effort by makers of fertilizer linked to “forever chemicals.”

nytimes.com

Zero-Gap Electrolyzers Accelerate Reconstruction of Cu2O-Derived Catalysts under CO2 Reduction

To scale carbon dioxide reduction (CO2R), establishing a structure–property–performance relationship of the catalyst under the reaction conditions is a priority. Particularly in membrane electrode assembly (MEA) electrolyzers, knowledge about the valence state and coordination environment of the catalyst is of value yet limited. We developed an MEA electrolyzer that utilizes X-ray absorption spectroscopy to investigate the structural evolution of Cu2O-derived catalysts under CO2R and compare the same catalysts in a flow cell. Additionally, we study the influence of CO reduction and incorporating Ag on the reconstruction of the catalyst. We find that the strong reduction environment in the MEA and feeding CO leads to reconstruction of Cu2O particles, favoring higher coordination and lower oxidation states, which coincides with a shift in the reaction selectivity from C2+ to hydrogen. Conversely, incorporating small amounts of Ag in the catalyst restricts the reconstruction. These findings advocate for in situ studies in zero-gap electrolyzers.

pubs.acs.org

Registration

Registration is now open for the Annual 2025 SECS Symposium. Registration is a two step process.  This link will take you to PayPal where you can pay the registration fee. Pay the right amount (sta…

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Process and techno-economic analyses of ethylene production by electrochemical reduction of aqueous alkaline carbonates - Nature Chemical Engineering

Future industrial processes for the electrolytic production of ethylene from aqueous carbonate feedstocks are not well understood. The authors develop unit operations and full process designs, evaluat...

nature.com