Fixation of CO2 on the occasion of its generation to produce advanced energy materials has been an ideal solution to relieve global warming. We herein report a delicately designed molten salt electrolyzer using molten NaCl-CaCl2-CaO as electrolyte, soluble GeO2 as Ge feedstock, conducting substrates as cathode, and carbon as anode. A cathode-anode synergy is verified for coelectrolysis of soluble GeO2 and in situ–generated CO2 at the carbon anode to cathodic Ge nanoparticles encapsulated in carbon nanotubes (Ge@CNTs), contributing to enhanced oxygen evolution at carbon anode and hence reduced CO2 emissions. When evaluated as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries, the Ge@CNTs hybrid shows high reversible capacity, long cycle life, and excellent high-rate capability. The process contributes to metallurgy with reduced carbon emissions, in operando CO2 fixation to advanced energy materials, and upgraded conversion of carbon bulks to CNTs.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.