Metal Cluster Catalysts for Electrochemical Carbon Dioxide Conversion

将全球变暖限制在工业化前水平以上2摄氏度，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的化石燃料，并加速二氧化碳的捕获和利用技术。风能和太阳能等可再生能源非常丰富，加起来可能超过目前全球电力需求的100万倍。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CO2转化（ECC）燃料和化学品为CO2排放和可再生能源存储问题提供了令人信服的解决方案。ECC燃料能够以化学能的形式存储可再生能源。在ECC系统中最关键的组成部分是催化剂，其中二氧化碳转化为所需的产品。在这个研究项目中，我们将开发基于金属簇的下一代催化剂，这种催化剂具有活性、选择性和稳定性，可将二氧化碳转化为燃料和化学品。为了实现这一目标，有必要了解催化剂的表面结构特征与催化性能之间的关系。我们需要一个化学和物理吸附分析仪，将提供一个深入了解的表面结构和化学的ECC催化剂。具体来说，我们将使用这种气体吸附分析仪来确定ECC催化剂的比表面积和多孔结构这两个重要因素。我们还将使用该仪器来表征二氧化碳还原金属活性位点的性质，使用化学吸附和温度编程技术。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。通过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。推进ECC技术将使加拿大成为开发清洁技术的领导者，为全球气候变化问题提供解决方案。专门的气体吸附分析仪也将有助于下一代HQP的培训，这是一种多功能的艺术研究工具。我们预计，在未来五年内，超过50个HQP将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.