Developing highly efficient electrocatalysts for the carbon dioxide reductionreaction (CO2RR) to value-added fuels and chemicals offers a... Show moreDeveloping highly efficient electrocatalysts for the carbon dioxide reductionreaction (CO2RR) to value-added fuels and chemicals offers a feasible pathway for
renewable energy storage and could help mitigate the ever-increasing carbon dioxide
(CO2) emissions from human activities. Different catalysts are known to catalyze
CO2RR in aqueous solutions. Most known catalysts are only capable of transferring
2 electrons with needed protons to CO2 producing either carbon monoxide (CO)
or formic acid (HCOOH). Copper (Cu) is the only electrocatalytic material that
converts CO2 into different types of hydrocarbon products. Additionally, owing to
Cu’s natural abundance and low cost, it has been intensively studied for CO2RR
for decades. However, the required high input energy (overpotential), low product
selectivity towards valuable fuel products, and the lack of long-term stability remain
major challenges for Cu-based catalysts. This work aims to develop new materials
that produce hydrocarbons at lower overpotentials with higher rates and greater
selectivity than current copper catalysts. By implementing a process referred to as
the electrocatalyst discovery cycle iterations between predications, catalyst testing,
and active site characterization allow for the rational design and discovery of new
and improved electrocatalysts for CO2RR. This methodology led to the discovery of
different heteroatomic catalysts as low overpotential catalysts for electroreduction of
CO2 high energy density hydrocarbon products. Show less
