Persistent CO 2 Reduction Performance of an Ag Nanoparticle Gas Diffusion Electrode in Realistic Dynamic PV-Driven Operation
Energy & Fuels, vol. 40, pp. 811–818
Abstract
High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Progress in the development of CO 2 reduction catalysts has revealed more stable and selective options for solar fuel production. In most cases, the catalysts are tested under steady-state conditions. However, to become a reliable long-term storage solution for renewable energy, particularly photovoltaics (PV), CO 2 electroreduction must tolerate power intermittency. Direct coupling of CO 2 electrolyzers to PV devices enables carbon utilization and efficient energy storage but requires catalysts that maintain consistent performance under dynamic power input. Herein, we select an Ag nanoparticle gas diffusion cathode with stable CO production across a wide current density range. The system, directly coupled to a hardware-emulated Si-PV module operating under a realistic sunny day profile, achieves 96% energy coupling efficiency and reaches a cumulative solar-to-chemical (CO) efficiency of 8.8% in 1 day. This study demonstrates the potential of Ag-based cathodes for robust performance in variable PV-powered systems and introduces a novel test methodology that better reflects real-world PV-electrolyzer integration, thereby advancing practical implementation of solar-driven CO 2 reduction.
Authors 8
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Forschungszentrum Jülich · Technische Universität Berlin
Affiliation as printed
Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, IMD-3 Photovoltaik
Technical University of Berlin, Institute of Chemistry
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Tsvetelina Merdzhanova corresponding
Affiliation as printed
Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, IMD-3 Photovoltaik
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Affiliation as printed
Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, IMD-3 Photovoltaik
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Sergey Shcherbachenko Aachen
Forschungszentrum Jülich · Jülich Aachen Research Alliance · RWTH Aachen University
Affiliation as printed
Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, IMD-3 Photovoltaik
Jülich Aachen Research Alliance (JARA-Energy) and Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology
RWTH Aachen University
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Forschungszentrum Jülich · Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg
Affiliation as printed
Helmholtz-Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg for Renewable Energy (IET-2), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Cauerstr. 1, Erlangen 91058, Germany
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Forschungszentrum Jülich · Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg
Affiliation as printed
Helmholtz-Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg for Renewable Energy (IET-2), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Cauerstr. 1, Erlangen 91058, Germany
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Uwe Rau Aachen
Forschungszentrum Jülich · Jülich Aachen Research Alliance · RWTH Aachen University
Affiliation as printed
Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, IMD-3 Photovoltaik
Jülich Aachen Research Alliance (JARA-Energy) and Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology
RWTH Aachen University
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Affiliation as printed
Technical University of Berlin, Institute of Chemistry
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