Reactive CO2 capture could accelerate industrial electrified synthesis

This Nature Energy Perspective argues that reactive capture of CO2 (RCC), which feeds CO2-rich capture liquids directly into an electrolyser, can enable a fully electrified CO2 conversion pathway that tolerates industrial impurities and yields high-purity outputs. RCC could allow earlier industrial deployment than gas-fed systems, but current RCC electrolysers lag in performance and scale. Advancing RCC to viability will require solving stability and scale barriers by developing solvent-tolerant cathodes, compatible capture fluids, and more durable bipolar membranes, all while meeting techno-economic targets to compete with alternative conversion routes.