ABSTRACT Membranes play a central role in determining both the efficiency and selectivity of the CO 2 reduction reaction (CO 2 RR). Progress in developing novel membranes for CO 2 RR has been hindered by the widespread use of off‐the‐shelf commercial membranes. However, there is an urgent and necessary demand to invent high‐performance membranes tailored for CO 2 RR and investigate the mechanisms by which they enhance performance. Here, we prepared a high‐performance and cost‐effective zwitterionic membrane, OQHTCC‐90/PVA. Compared with commercial membranes, the OQHTCC‐90/PVA zwitterionic membrane exhibits high anionic conductivity owing to its strong adsorption energy toward hydroxide ions. Consequently, an H‐type cell assembled with OQHTCC‐90/PVA zwitterionic membrane delivers the highest Faradaic efficiency (FE) toward CO 2 RR products, outperforming that of commercial membranes. Notably, OQHTCC‐90/PVA zwitterionic membrane displays exceptional alkaline stability, superior durability, and remarkable reusability, making it a cost‐effective option for CO 2 RR operations. This work not only develops a high‐performance zwitterionic membrane but also highlights the importance of tailored membrane design for advancing CO 2 RR.
Li et al. (Mon,) studied this question.