Bohua Ren

Former PhD Student

Image of Bohua Ren
I am a PhD student co-supervised by Prof. Luis and Prof. Eric at the Chemical Engineering Department of the University of Waterloo. My research mainly focus on solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) for the direct conversion of CO2 to carbon monoxide (CO). Co-electrolysis of steam and carbon dioxide using high temperature electrolysis cells to fabricate syngas has been attracting widespread interest for carbon capture and utilization because it is a novel method of reutilization of the captured carbon dioxide (CO2). However, cathode materials currently used for HT-SOEC have not met the requirements of satisfactory electrochemical performance and high electrolysis efficiency. CO2 reduction reaction mechanism on SOEC cathode materials will be studied in my research to explore the structural, electronic and energetic properties of cathode catalysts using Density Functional Theory (DFT) analysis. These properties are key to improve the design and operability of catalytic processes. Molecular simulations will also provide insight and guide my experiments for cathode catalyst preparation and fabrication of highly efficient SOEC.

Thesis: Multiscale Simulation of CO2 Reduction in Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells