(Press-News.org) In a study published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition, a team led by Profs. BAO Xinhe, GAO Dunfeng, and ZHANG Guohui from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, along with Prof. WANG Guoxiong from Fudan University, achieved efficient bicarbonate-mediated integrated carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and electrolysis to CO through an ionomer-driven reaction microenvironment control strategy.
Traditional CO2 capture and conversion routes from industrial flue gas typically follow a "capture-release-compression-electrolysis" tandem pathway. The bicarbonate-mediated integrated CO2 capture-electrolysis route, as an emerging reactive carbon capture technology, couples upstream CO2 capture with subsequent electrocatalytic conversion, reducing the energy consumption associated with obtaining high-purity CO2 feedstock.
The electrolysis of bicarbonate capture liquids is a crucial step in the bicarbonate-mediated integrated CO2 capture-electrolysis route. However, this step suffers from insufficient current density (low reaction rate) and high cell voltage (low energy efficiency).
In this study, the researchers manipulated the reaction microenvironments by introducing ionomers into cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPc) electrodes, improving the performance of bicarbonate electrolysis. In a cation exchange membrane-based zero-gap electrolyzer, the CoPc electrode modified with a Nafion ionomer exhibited a high CO Faradaic efficiency of 93% at an applied current density of 300 mA cm−2 and a CO partial current density of 410 mA cm−2 at a low cell voltage of 3.09 V.
Electrode structure characterization and finite element simulation results demonstrated that the proton conductivity of the Nafion ionomer increased the local concentration of in situ generated CO2 (i-CO2) in the proximity of the CoPc catalyst, resulting in improved CO formation.
Furthermore, the researchers demonstrated a closed-loop CO2 capture and electrolysis cycle at the device level using the Nafion-incorporated CoPc electrode and a simulated flue gas.
"Our study shows the potential of the reaction microenvironment control strategy for improving bicarbonate electrolysis performance and advancing reactive carbon capture technology," said Prof. GAO.
END
Researchers achieve efficient bicarbonate-mediated integrated capture and electrolysis of carbon dioxide
2026-03-09
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Study reveals ancient needles and awls served many purposes
2026-03-09
A study led by McKenna Litynski, a recent Ph.D. graduate in anthropology and adjunct assistant professor at the University of Wyoming, confirms that ancient needles and awls enabled humans to survive in cold climates and shows these tools served a variety of purposes beyond clothing production, from medicine to ceremony.
Some 100,000 years ago, humans began to expand around the globe, including into some of the world’s coldest environments. Scholars have long hypothesized that this remarkable expansion was made possible by a profoundly humble technology: the ...
Key protein SYFO2 enables 'self-fertilization’ of leguminous plants
2026-03-09
Most plants allow fungal microorganisms to enter their root cells and provide them with carbohydrates in exchange for a better supply of nutrients and water. Only leguminous plants like peas, beans, and clover enter into an additional, mutually beneficial symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing soil bacteria. The alliance with so-called rhizobia enables them to supply themselves with the nitrogen they need for their growth from the air.
Within the context of the Enabling Nutrient Symbiosis in Agriculture (ENSA) ...
AI tool streamlines drug synthesis
2026-03-09
Drug discovery is like molecular Tetris. Chemists snap atoms together, adjusting the pieces until everything fits and suddenly, a molecule makes a promising new medicine. Normally, creating better molecules consumes huge amounts of time and money.
In a new study, researchers used machine learning to build a smarter prediction system that could speed up the process at a fraction of the cost.
“Sometimes we use sophisticated, physics-based computational chemistry tools to understand novel reactions. However, these tools are too expensive to make predictions on thousands of potential new molecules,” said Simone Gallarati, the study’s co-lead author ...
Turning orchard waste into climate solutions: A simple method boosts biochar carbon storage
2026-03-09
Researchers have developed a practical and low cost method to transform agricultural waste into high quality biochar, significantly increasing its ability to store carbon and help combat climate change. The study demonstrates that a simple treatment using limewater can dramatically improve the efficiency of biochar production while keeping the process accessible for use directly in the field.
Biochar is a carbon rich material produced when plant biomass is heated in low oxygen conditions. Because the carbon in biochar remains stable in soil for long periods, scientists consider it a promising carbon negative technology that can help remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. However, traditional ...
New ACP papers say health care must be more accessible and inclusive for patients and physicians with disabilities
2026-03-09
New ACP papers say health care must be more accessible and inclusive for patients and physicians with disabilities
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-25-04524
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-25-04518
Editorial: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-25-05480
URL goes live when the embargo lifts
Two new papers from the American College of Physicians (ACP) address barriers to health care for people with disabilities and offer policy recommendations ...
Moisture powered materials could make cleaning CO₂ from air more efficient
2026-03-09
Over the past century, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased dramatically. This rise has contributed to global warming and led to many harmful effects, including shifting weather patterns and more frequent droughts. There is an urgent need to lower the amount of carbon dioxide in the air to protect ecosystems and reduce future damage to the planet.
Paul V. Galvin professor Petra Fromme in ASU’s School of Molecular Sciences (SMS), and her team, have taken an important step toward improving technologies that pull carbon dioxide directly from the air—an approach considered ...
Scientists identify the gatekeeper of retinal progenitor cell identity
2026-03-09
Ikoma, Japan—The retina is a thin layer of neural tissue at the back of the eye that detects light and converts it into signals, sent to the brain. During development, all the specialized neurons in the retina—including photoreceptors and other cells essential for vision—arise from stem-like cells known as retinal progenitor cells (RPCs). Although RPCs can differentiate into multiple retinal cell types, this capacity is only temporary in mammals. As development proceeds, RPCs gradually lose their flexibility and ultimately transform into supporting cells called Müller glia (MG). Once this transition is complete, the retina ...
American Indian and Alaska native peoples experience higher rates of fatal police violence in and around reservations
2026-03-09
Indigenous people in the United States are at higher risk of fatal police violence in and around American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) reservations, according to the first comprehensive national study on the subject from researchers at Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health and the University of Washington. The study, using data on the 203 AIAN people killed by police from 2013 through 2024, was published today in the journal PNAS. The authors hope this work will inform policy action to better protect these communities.
The ...
Research alert: Long-read genome sequencing uncovers new autism gene variants
2026-03-09
Researchers at the University of California San Diego have identified new genetic variants associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by using long-read whole genome sequencing (LR-WGS), an emerging approach that reads large sections of the genome at once, making it easier for scientists to find new genetic variants and understand how genetic variants affect the function of a gene. The team found that compared to traditional short-read approaches, LR-WGS enhanced the discovery of several categories of genetic variants. The findings may pave ...
Genetic mapping of Baltic Sea herring important for sustainable fishing
2026-03-09
Herring from different parts of the Baltic Sea belong to distinct populations genetically adapted to local differences in salinity and temperature. However, these populations can also mix with each other, according to a new study by researchers from Uppsala University, Stockholm University and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. These results have important implications for the management of the Baltic herring. The study is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Spring- and autumn-spawning herring in the Baltic Sea as well as in the Atlantic Ocean are genetically distinct. This is well known.
“Despite ...