CuO/ZnO electro-catalysts for CO2 electro-reduction.

Electrochemical carbon dioxide recycling offers an attractive approach to the synthesis of fuels and chemical feedstocks using renewable energy. However, fundamental and applied science hurdles remain on the path to the deployment of this technology. Integrating catalytic design and mechanistic understanding will lead to scientific insights and advance the technology towards industrial relevance. Catalysts must produce valuable carbon-based products with better selectivity, lower overpotentials, and improved current densities with long-time testing. In this project proposal, effort will be placed on the electrode optimization of CuO/ZnO composite oxides, which will be designed in different morphologies and compositions. Testing the catalysts in flow-cell to investigate the influence of active sites, morphology, and composition on the CO and C+2 products.
The expected outcome of the project is that the different morphologies of ZnO/CuO lead to different selectivity and efficiency during CO2 electrolysis. In addition, the fabrication of the electrode using different additives and techniques will allow us to understand the effects on the stability and efficiency of the electrode for long testing.

Faculty Supervisor:

Cao Thang Dinh

Student:

Partner:

Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Education

University:

Queen's University

Program: