Bipolar Membranes for Electrochemical CO2 Capture

Electrochemical CO2 capture, conversion and storage can play a significant role in reducing atmospheric CO2 concentration in the coming decades. Bipolar membranes that facilitate water dissociation reaction at the interface can be implemented in electrolysis, electrodialysis and other electrochemical devices for carbon capture, conversion, and long duration energy storge. In this talk, I will share recent developments in the synthesis, characterization, and electrochemical performances of catalyzed, asymmetric bipolar membranes for highly efficient acid and base generation both at Caltech and in Captura. I will talk about multiphysics modeling and simulation of BPMs for in-depth understanding of water dissociation mechanism as well as electroosmotic water transport at various current densities. Finally, I will discuss electrodialysis stacks development and deployment of Direct Ocean Capture (DOC) pilot systems for electrochemical CO2 capture at a near-ocean site.