Electrode Engineering for Carbon Dioxide Electroreduction to Fuels and Chemicals

二氧化碳电还原燃料和化学品的电极工程

• 批准号: RGPIN-2020-04880
• 负责人: Dinh, CaoThang
• 金额: $ 2.4万
• 依托单位: Queen's University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=716940
• 关键词: Electrode; Engineering; Carbon; Dioxide; Electroreduction

The global community has recognized the importance and urgency of taking bold steps to prevent catastrophic climate change. Without action, the global average temperature will rise over 2 C relative to pre-industrial levels, causing devastating effects on the environment and the global economy. Preventing these damages requires reducing over 80% of the total emissions of greenhouse relative to 1990 levels by 2050. Also, up to 1,000 Gigatons of carbon dioxide (CO2) needs to be captured and stored by 2100. Renewable energies, such as wind and solar, are widely distributed and, taken together, could exceed today's global electricity demand > 10,000-fold. However, the intrinsic intermittency of solar or wind resources limits their further deployment as replacements of fossil fuels. Electrochemical CO2 conversion (ECC) to fuels and chemicals addresses the CO2 emission and renewable energy storage problems simultaneously. Existing infrastructure can be leveraged to take advantage of these chemicals and fuels, and recycling CO2 results in a low- or zero-carbon fuel cycle. Currently, no commercial ECC system can produce chemicals and fuels because of the significant challenges in developing stable ECC systems. This research program seeks to advance ECC technology and bring it to practical application. We will tackle the most critical challenges of ECC technology that prevent its deployment at large scale: developing high-performance and stable gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs). The GDEs are the most crucial part of the ECC systems where CO2 reduction to desired products occurs. To achieve this goal, we will identify how the structure and composition of GDEs affect ECC performance. We will also investigate their failure mechanisms by designing and testing several accelerated stress testing protocols. We will characterize the electrode before, during, and after the reaction to identify physical and chemical changes of the GDEs. From these insights, we will develop stable and efficient GDEs using various synthesis tools and fabrication techniques. This research will advance ECC technology, which has the potential to revolutionize CO2 capture and utilization, commodity chemical manufacture, and renewable energy storage. Fundamental insight into the physical and chemical changes of the GDE under ECC conditions will guide the rational design of efficient GDEs for other gas-phase reactions in renewable chemicals production and energy storage. Advancing ECC technology will position Canada as the leader in CO2 capture and utilization, which is expected to be a $4 trillion market by 2050. Throughout the proposed program, we will train a total of 11 HQP at the forefront of clean technology. These HQP will be ready to add to Canada's cleantech economy and help Canada to compete in international markets as we move toward a cleaner and more sustainable future.

国际社会已经认识到采取大胆步骤防止灾难性气候变化的重要性和紧迫性。如果不采取行动，全球平均气温将比工业化前水平上升2摄氏度以上，对环境和全球经济造成毁灭性影响。防止这些损害需要到2050年将温室气体总排放量减少到1990年水平的80%以上。此外，到2100年，需要捕获和储存多达1000亿吨的二氧化碳（CO2）。