Electrochemical CO2 Reduction to Value-Added Chemicals

Rising levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and the depletion of fossil fuel reserves are two of the most pressing issues facing modern society. Renewable energy sources such as the sun, wind, and other similar sources can be utilized as alternatives for the generation of energy. However, these types of renewable energy sources are intermittent. Thus, one appealing solution to this issue is to combine efforts to cut CO2 emissions with those to increase the use of renewable energy sources. The electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (ERCO2) is a technology that is receiving a lot of attention since it has the potential to not only improve climate change but also use CO2 as a source of carbon for the production of value-added products like fuel. In addition, the synthesis of hydrocarbons through the conversion of CO2 is of particular importance for the storage of renewable energy, which may be given to the thermodynamically unfavorable CO2 reduction reaction. In this chapter, the significance of ERCO2 for the generation of green fuels is discussed with a special focus on solid polymer electrolyte and electrolyzer configurations. The selection of electrolytes is addressed along with the improvement in the efficiency of the process and the effect of parameters such as pH effects, temperature, and pressure toward CO2 reduction.