RII Track-4: NSF: One-Stage Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction by Using Captured (bi)Carbonate Ions as the Feedstock

Clemson University, Clemson SC

Investigators

Abstract

The proposed research echoes our nation’s grand transition to clean energy and circular economy. This project plans to make strides toward achieving sustainable CO2 valorization and management through innovative electrocatalytic technologies. To tackle the typical limitations of the current electrocatalytic CO2 reduction (eCO2R) reaction setup, where concentrated gaseous CO2 that is energy-consuming and not available in nature must be used as the feedstock, this work will advance the eCO2R by utilizing the captured carbon in (bi)carbonate form as the aqueous feedstock, which is an effective and earth-abundant media for environmental CO2 capture. Specifically, the research team aims to convert the captured CO2 in space exploration to methane fuel and convert the captured CO2 on Earth to ethylene. If successful, this will be a critical advancement for coupled CO2 capture and valorization, promoting energy-efficient distributed manufacturing essential for sustainable operations both on Earth and in space. While the project will focus on the selective production of methane and ethylene in this work, knowledge garnered will be translational to various CO2 valorization processes, and the one-stop CO2 recovery and conversion makes the approach adaptable to the distributed manufacturing in general. The proposed research work provides the PI and the students, representatively from small-to-medium size departments and institutions in the EPSCoR states, a fertile platform to ignite research interests and develop new research expertise through partnerships with the nation's premier research centers, ultimately paving the way for sustainably improving research infrastructure, advocating STEM education, and developing the STEM workforce for the EPSCoR states. The EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Track-4: EPSCoR Research Fellows project involves a significant extent of learning and exploration. In collaboration with the Electrochemical Research, Technology, and Engineering Group at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) at the California Institute of Technology, this research training centers around developing electrocatalytic technology that integrates the recovery and conversion of CO2 in one reaction chamber through 1) controlled acidification of the alkaline (bi)carbonate electrolyte by the H+ generated from the bipolar membrane (BPM) for CO2 recovery and 2) selective conversion of the in-situ generated CO2 to methane or ethylene to meet flexible needs on Earth and in space. The PI and student trainee will leverage the Clemson lab’s expertise in developing atomically precise nanocatalysts, and, more importantly, the Clemson researchers aim to develop new research capacities with JPL in electrochemical device engineering and optimization, where the membrane, flow channels, catalyst layer, and overall cell configurations for high conversions must work synergistically to make the best use of the developed nanocatalysts. The Clemson-JPL partnership plans have a lasting impact on research and workforce development in the EPSCoR states. In collaboration with STEM education and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at Clemson and South Carolina EPSCoR, our team aims to disseminate the science and ignite the research passion in diverse groups of students. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.