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A team of scientists has created a "hot-edged" bowl-shaped electrode that can efficiently convert CO2 from gas into carbon-based fuels and chemicals, helping to combat climate change posed by atmospheric carbon dioxide. .
The research team from the University of Bath, Shanghai Fudan University and the Shanghai Pollution Control and Environmental Safety Institute hope that the catalyst design will ultimately enable the use of renewable electricity to convert CO2 into fuels without creating additional atmospheric carbon – essentially acting as an electrochemical "leaf" to convert carbon dioxide into sugars.
The use of this reaction, known as carbon dioxide reduction, has interesting potential, but two major obstacles are the low conversion efficiency of the reaction and the lack of detailed knowledge about the exact reaction process.
This new electrode responds to these challenges with superior conversion efficiency and sensitive detection of molecules created as the reaction progresses – thanks to its innovative shape and construction. The bowl-shaped electrode operates six times faster than standard planar or flat designs.
The bowl-shaped shape of the design, known technically as a "reverse opal structure", concentrates the electric fields on its hot edges – the edge of the bowl – which then concentrates the positively charged potassium ions onto the active sites of the reaction, thus reducing its energy. requirements.
The copper-indium alloy electrode can also be useful for sensitively studying the reaction process by measuring the Raman signal, which is higher than that of a typical electrode.
The study is published in Journal of Materials Chemistry A.
Professor Ventsislav Valev, of the Department of Physics at the University of Bath, said: "There is no more pressing human need than breathing, yet for hundreds of millions of people this elementary activity is a source of concern in the face of reduced life expectancy, it is proven that CO2 increases the levels of ozone, carcinogens and surface particles, thereby increasing mortality rates, asthma, hospitalization and cancer, so it is essential to continue to look for new ways to reduce CO2 levels in the atmosphere. "
The team wants to continue research to develop the most effective catalyst for reducing carbon.
Professor Liwu Zhang of Fudan University said: "CO2 causes climate change, warms our planet, and by using clean electricity we can convert CO2 into chemical fuels, which can be reused. CO2 cycle, without increasing CO2 concentration and help save our world.
"However, to improve the efficiency of converting CO2 into chemical fuels, it is extremely important to know the reaction process and find the most suitable catalyst.
"Just as plants transform CO2 into sugar, so we find an electrochemical" leaf "suitable for CO2 conversion."
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The study: "Hot edges" in an inverse opal structure allows an electrochemical reduction of CO2 and a sensitive in situ Raman characterization "is published in Journal of Materials Chemistry A.
The study was funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China and the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Center for PhD Training in Physics and Physical Sciences (EPSRC) of the Research Council. Physics (CDT-CMP), and the Royal Society.
For more information, please contact Chris Melvin of the Press Department of the University of Bath at +44 (12) 383 941 or at the address [email protected]
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University of Bath
The University of Bath is one of the UK's leading universities in terms of research and our reputation for excellence in teaching, learning and graduate prospects. .
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