Urea-Functionalized Silver Catalyst toward Efficient and Robust CO Electrolysis with Relieved Reliance on Alkali Cations.

We report a new strategy to improve the reactivity and durability of a membrane electrode assembly (MEA)-type electrolyzer for CO electrolysis to CO by modifying the silver catalyst layer with urea. Our experimental and theoretical results show that mixing urea with the silver catalyst can promote electrochemical CO reduction (COR), relieve limitations of alkali cation transport from the anolyte, and mitigate salt precipitation in the gas diffusion electrode in long-term stability tests. In a 10 mM KHCO anolyte, the urea-modified Ag catalyst achieved CO selectivity 1.3 times better with energy efficiency 2.8-fold better than an untreated Ag catalyst, and operated stably at 100 mA cm with a faradaic efficiency for CO above 85% for 200 h. Our work provides an alternative approach to fabricating catalyst interfaces in MEAs by modifying the catalyst structure and the local reaction environment for critical electrochemical applications such as CO electrolysis and fuel cells.