Novel Catalysts for Electrochemical Carbon Dioxide Conversion: from Bimetallic Surfaces to Gas Diffusion Electrodes

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With this award from the Chemical Catalysis Program in the Chemistry Division at the National Science Foundation, Professor Giovanni Zangari of the University of Virginia will study new electrocatalyst materials and electrode configurations aimed at electrochemically reducing carbon dioxide. Hydrogenation of carbon dioxide is expected to provide a flexible, efficient route to the realization of a carbon neutral cycle for fuel production, potentially of enormous importance to effectively decrease carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere. While current catalysts suffer from poor selectivity and low conversion rates, bimetallic surfaces and surface alloys with lateral compositional gradients and tunable adsorption strength for the various reactants and intermediates have the potential to widely enhance catalyst selectivity and accelerate formation of selected fuels. These novel catalysts will be synthesized by electrochemical methods, and their catalytic activity and selectivity will be tested via product analysis and kinetic investigations of the reaction mechanism. In a successive stage, porous nanoparticle catalysts reproducing the optimized compositions identified previously will be synthesized and impregnated with ionic liquids with the objective of increasing carbon dioxide concentration at the catalytic surface to boost its conversion rate. Finally, gas diffusion electrodes will be fabricated using these porous nanoparticle catalysts and suitable electrode configurations will be developed with the aim of maximizing electrochemical fuel production rates.The proposed research targets the decrease of carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere via its electrochemical conversion to useful liquid fuels, potentially powered by renewable energy. By developing materials capable of accelerating carbon dioxide conversion, this research will develop a fundamental understanding of the mechanism of fuel formation by electrochemical processes. This will enable rational catalyst design and optimization as well as enhanced process selectivity. Investigation of various electrode configurations will provide a better insight on the transport of carbon dioxide through heterogeneous media, which could be used to optimize the overall reactor performance. The knowledge developed here will not only facilitate widespread implementation of new technologies for recycling of carbon dioxide, but has the potential to be transferred to a variety of electrochemical conversion processes. Additionally, this research will provide training opportunities for students at the intersection of electrochemistry and materials science, as well as an array of educational activities focused on environmental issues, including a university-wide seminar offering and unique laboratory experiences for undergraduates.