Unveiling the kinetics of CO₂ reduction in aprotic electrolyte: The critical role of adsorption

Aprotic organic electrolytes for electrocatalytic CO 2 reduction (CO 2 R) offer a promising yet little -explored alternative to avoid the selectivity issues of alkaline media. We present a model -assisted study of the local reaction environment at a Cu cathode in aprotic organic electrolytes to determine the kinetics of the CO 2 R and the kinetic limitations and reveal their dependence on reaction conditions. The adsorption of CO 2 is identified as the rate -determining step, as opposed to the often -assumed electron transfer during radical anion formation. Unlike alkaline media, there is no transport limitation in aprotic media. Furthermore, our model predicts two strategies to overcome the adsorption limitation: (i) by increasing surface roughness and (ii) by elevating pressure. The findings highlight the critical role of CO 2 adsorption on CO 2 R performance and enable knowledge -driven optimization of reaction conditions and electrocatalysts.