Metal Cluster Catalysts for Electrochemical Carbon Dioxide Conversion

将全球变暖控制在比工业化前水平高2摄氏度的水平将意味着到2050年将温室气体排放量减少到1990年水平的80%，到2100年实现净零排放。实现这一气候目标意味着用可再生能源取代传统化石燃料，并加快二氧化碳(CO2)捕获和利用技术。风能和太阳能等可再生能源非常丰富，加在一起，可能会超过当今全球电力需求的1万倍。然而，太阳能或风能资源固有的间歇性限制了它们作为化石燃料替代品的进一步部署。电化学二氧化碳转化为燃料和化学品为二氧化碳排放和可再生能源储存问题提供了引人注目的解决方案。ECC to Fuels使可再生能源能够以化学能的形式储存。ECC系统中最关键的部件是将二氧化碳转化为所需产品的催化剂。在这项研究计划中，我们将开发基于金属簇合物的新一代催化剂，这些催化剂具有活性、选择性和稳定性，可以将二氧化碳转化为燃料和化学品。为了实现这一目标，了解催化剂的表面结构特征与催化性能之间的关系是至关重要的。我们需要一台化学和物理吸附分析仪，以便深入了解ECC催化剂的表面结构和化学组成。具体地说，我们将使用该气体吸附分析仪来确定ECC催化剂的两个重要因素--比表面积和孔结构。我们还将使用该仪器通过化学吸附和程序升温技术来表征用于二氧化碳还原的金属活性中心的性质。通过将该工具与我们的电化学测试系统相结合，我们将能够识别控制ECC催化剂性能的关键表面物理和化学特征。根据使用化学和物理吸附分析仪获得的见解，我们将能够开发出更具活性、选择性和稳定性的二氧化碳转化催化剂。先进的ECC技术将使加拿大在开发为全球气候变化问题提供解决方案的清洁技术方面处于领先地位。专门的气体吸收分析仪还将有助于培训下一代HQP使用最先进的研究工具。我们预计，在未来五年内，将有超过50名HQP直接受益于使用该工具。

Limiting global warming to 2oC above pre-industrial levels would imply reducing greenhouse gas emission by 80% of the 1990 level by 2050 and a net-zero emission by 2100. Achieving this climate target means replacing traditional fossil fuels with renewable energy and accelerating carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and utilization technologies. Renewable energies, such as wind and solar, are very abundant and, taken together, could exceed today's global electricity demand > 10,000 times. 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 provides compelling solution to both the CO2 emission and renewable energy storage problems. The ECC to fuels enables renewable energy storage in the form of chemical energy. The most critical component in ECC system is the catalyst where CO2 is converted to desired products. In this research program, we will develop next-generation catalysts based on metal clusters that are active, selective, and stable for converting CO2 into fuels and chemicals. To achieve this goal, it is essential to understand the correlation between the surface structural characteristics and the catalytic performance of the catalysts. We are requesting a chemi- and physisorption analyzer that will provide an in-depth understanding of the surface structure and chemistry of ECC catalysts. Specifically, we will use this gas sorption analyzer to determine the specific surface area and porous structure, the two important factors of an ECC catalyst. We will also employ this instrument to characterize the nature of the metal active sites for CO2 reduction using chemisorption and temperature-programmed techniques. By combining this tool with our electrochemical testing systems, we will be able to identify key surface physical and chemical features that govern the performance of the ECC catalyst. From the insights gained using the chemi- and physisorption analyzer, we will be able to develop more active, selective, and stable catalysts for CO2 conversion. Advancing ECC technology will position Canada as the leader in developing clean technologies that provide solutions to the global problem of climate change. The specialized gas sorption analyzer will also contribute to the training of next generation of HQP on a versatile state of the art research tool. We anticipate that over the next five years more than 50 HQP will directly benefit from using this tool.