CAREER: Leveraging Liquid-Liquid Interfaces for Innovative Electrochemical Carbon Capture

二氧化碳（CO2）的排放是全球气温上升的重要原因。各种科学报告强调，迫切需要碳捕获等脱碳技术来减少二氧化碳排放和应对气候变化。然而，传统的基于热的碳捕获系统面临着限制其应用的技术挑战，包括高能量需求和吸收材料的热降解。电化学碳捕获（ECC）工艺正在被开发作为热基工艺的替代方案。ECC工艺具有优势，因为它们可以在中等温度下运行，并且是即插即用和模块化的。ECC工艺也比类似的热工艺更高效，它完全依赖于可能完全来自可再生能源的电力。该项目将开发一种创新的ECC工艺，采用工程软接口，实现可扩展、模块化和环境可持续的二氧化碳分离方法。这种方法推进了碳捕获科学，并支持美国国家科学基金会的使命，即通过直接解决二氧化碳减排问题来促进科学进步和国民健康。该项目的教育和推广举措嵌入了研究者的现代教育模式中的气候学习整合，旨在激励未来的STEM一代。这些举措将在代表性不足的社区中产生特别大的影响，因为它们通过基于项目的学习将前沿研究纳入教育内容，从而培养一个消息灵通和具有环保意识的社会。该项目旨在通过在两种不混溶电解质溶液之间的液-液界面采用工程软界面来推进ECC。这种新颖的方法解决了当前ECC工艺性能的限制，例如依赖于昂贵的离子选择膜和氧气敏感性。这些工程界面将被开发和优化，以增强二氧化碳分离性能和系统能量学。最先进的扫描电化学显微镜将评估界面性能，确保研究方法的准确性和创新性。这项工作的广泛意义延伸到各种电化学应用，包括基于电化学的水处理和能量储存。此外，通过新颖的教育模块将这项研究与STEM教育相结合，为知识传播和学生参与气候变化解决方案提供了一个有效的平台。具体来说，本科职前STEM教师将通过基于项目的学习技术参与研究，这可以为他们的课程开发提供信息。这种全面的方法凸显了该项目的潜力，它将极大地促进我们对碳排放国及其应对气候变化能力的科学理解。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions significantly contribute to the rise in global temperature. Various scientific reports emphasize the critical need for decarbonization technologies such as carbon capture to mitigate CO2 emissions and combat climate change. However, conventional heat-based carbon capture systems face technical challenges that limit their utility, including high energy requirements and the thermal degradation of absorbent materials. Electrochemical carbon capture (ECC) processes are being developed as an alternative to thermal-based processes. ECC processes are advantageous because they can operate at moderate temperatures and are plug-and-play and modular. ECC processes are also more efficient than similar thermal processes, relying solely on electricity potentially sourced entirely from renewables. This project will develop an innovative ECC process that employs engineered soft interfaces for a scalable, modular, and environmentally sustainable method of CO2 separation. This approach advances carbon capture science and supports the National Science Foundation's mission to promote scientific progress and national health by directly addressing CO2 emission mitigation. The project's educational and outreach initiatives, embedded in the investigator’s Climate Learning Integration in Modern Education model, aim to inspire future STEM generations. These initiatives will be particularly impactful within underrepresented communities because they integrate cutting-edge research into the educational content through project-based learning, fostering a well-informed and environmentally conscious society.The project aims to advance ECC by employing engineered soft interfaces at liquid-liquid interfaces between two immiscible electrolyte solutions. This novel approach addresses current ECC process performance limitations, such as the reliance on costly ion-selective membranes and oxygen gas sensitivity. These engineered interfaces will be developed and optimized for enhanced CO2 separation performance and system energetics. State-of-the-art scanning electrochemical microscopy will assess the interface performance, ensuring precision and innovation in the research methodology. The broader implications of this work extend to various electrochemical applications, including electrochemical-based water treatment and energy storage. Furthermore, integrating this research with STEM education through novel educational modules offers an effective platform for knowledge dissemination and student engagement in climate change solutions. Specifically, undergraduate pre-service STEM teachers will participate in the research through project-based learning techniques, which can inform the development of their curricula. This comprehensive approach highlights the project's potential to significantly contribute to our scientific understanding of ECCs and their capabilities in combating climate change.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.