Electrochemical conversion of C1 molecules to sustainable fuels in solid oxide electrolysis cells

ABSTRACT Stimulated by increasing environmental awareness and renewable-energy utilization capabilities, fuel cell and electrolyzer technologies have emerged to play a unique role in energy storage, conversion, and utilization. In particular, solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) are increasingly attracting the interest of researchers as a platform for the electrolysis and conversion of C1 molecules, such as carbon dioxide and methane. Compared to traditional catalysis methods, SOEC technology offers two major advantages: high energy efficiency and poisoning resistance, ensuring the long-term robustness of C1-to-fuels conversion. In this review, we focus on state-of-the-art technologies and introduce representative works on SOEC-based techniques for C1 molecule electrochemical conversion developed over the past several years, which can serve as a timely reference for designing suitable catalysts and cell processes for efficient and practical conversion of C1 molecules. The challenges and prospects are also discussed to suggest possible research directions for sustainable fuel production from C1 molecules by SOECs in the near future.