Operando Topography and Mechanical Property Mapping of CO2 Reduction Gas-Diffusion Electrodes Operating at High Current Densities. Issue 4 (7th April 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Nesbitt, Nathan T.; Smith, Wilson A.
• Is Part Of: Journal of the Electrochemical Society. Volume 168:Issue 4(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-04-07
• Subjects: Electrocatalysis -- Atomic force microscopy -- EC-AFM -- Gas-diffusion electrode -- CO2 reduction -- CO2 electrolysis; Electrochemistry -- Periodicals; 541.3705
• DOI: 10.1149/1945-7111/abf183
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0013-4651

Abstract

Abstract : Electrochemical atomic force microscopy (EC-AFM) enables measurement of electrode topography and mechanical properties during electrochemical reactions. However, for aqueous-based reactions that make gas products, such as CO2 reduction and water splitting into CO/H2, current densities below 1 mA cm −2 have been necessary to prevent formation of bubbles at the electrode; such bubbles can stick to the AFM probe and prevent further AFM imaging. Here, we demonstrate a novel cell design with a gas-diffusion electrode (GDE) to exhaust the gas products, thereby enabling high current density EC-AFM measurements at 1, 10, and 100 mA cm −2 that are not disturbed by bubble formation at the electrode surface. These experiments revealed a stable morphological structure of Cu catalysts deposited on GDEs during high current density operation. Systematic spatially resolved maps of deformation and adhesion showed no signs of a gas-liquid interface between catalyst particles of the GDE.