Early-stage performance change of gas diffusion electrodes for CO₂ electroreduction to formate

The electroreduction of CO2 provides an intriguing technology for the sustainable production of value-added products from unavoidable exhaust gas emissions such as formate. Aiming at a suitable electrode architecture for the electroreduction of CO2 to formate, in this study for the effect of the catalyst loading on the GDE performance, an early-stage performance change was observed by a loss of GDE activity in terms of maximum current density at -1.15 V-RHE. The loss of GDE activity was already apparent within the first hour of GDE use and points out the inadequacy of GDEs regarding the lifetime and stability in the field of electroreduction of CO2. Based on the results of the present study, the loss of activity can be explained by agglomeration of catalyst particles and the loss of hydrophobicity.