Electrode Engineering for Carbon Dioxide Electroreduction to Fuels and Chemicals

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。要防止这些损害，需要到2050年将温室气体总排放量在1990年的基础上减少80%以上。此外，到2100年，需要捕获和储存高达1000亿吨的二氧化碳(CO2)。风能和太阳能等可再生能源分布广泛，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(ECC)转化为燃料和化学品同时解决了二氧化碳排放和可再生能源储存问题。可以利用现有的基础设施来利用这些化学品和燃料，循环使用二氧化碳可以实现低碳或零碳燃料循环。目前，没有一种商用ECC系统能够生产化学品和燃料，因为在开发稳定的ECC系统方面存在重大挑战。本研究项目旨在推动ECC技术的发展并将其推向实际应用。我们将解决阻碍ECC技术大规模部署的最关键挑战：开发高性能和稳定的气体扩散电极(GDEs)。GDEs是ECC系统中最关键的部分，在这里可以将二氧化碳减少到所需产品。为了实现这一目标，我们将确定GDEs的结构和组成如何影响ECC性能。我们还将通过设计和测试几种加速压力测试协议来研究它们的失效机制。我们将在反应前、反应中和反应后对电极进行表征，以确定GDEs的物理和化学变化。根据这些见解，我们将使用各种合成工具和制造技术来开发稳定和高效的GDEs。这项研究将推动ECC技术的发展，该技术有可能给二氧化碳捕获和利用、商品化学制造和可再生能源储存带来革命性的变化。对ECC条件下GDE物理和化学变化的基本认识将指导合理设计高效的GDEs，用于可再生化学品生产和能量储存中的其他气相反应。先进的ECC技术将使加拿大成为二氧化碳捕获和利用方面的领先者，预计到2050年，这一市场将达到4万亿美元。在整个拟议的计划中，我们将总共培训11名清洁技术前沿的HQP。随着我们迈向更清洁和更可持续的未来，这些HQP将准备好增加加拿大的清洁技术经济，并帮助加拿大在国际市场上竞争。

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.