Single atom alloy catalyst for electrocatalytic CO2 reduction

Background

Climate change induced by a variety of human greenhouse gas emitting activities has the potential to negatively impact our natural environment, public health, and nation state economies.  Carbon dioxide (CO₂)is one such greenhouse gas targeted for significant reduction by numerous international conventions\treaties and in some jurisdictions is subject to carbon tax penalties. There is thus a demand for technologies to reduce CO₂ emissions to assist industry sectors (such as oil\gas, chemical, steel, and transportation, etc) to meet reduction targets. Current electrocatalytic methods to convert CO₂ into valuable C₁ and C₂₊ products suffer from low Faradaic efficiency rendering such methods economically impractical.

Description of the invention

C₂₊ products have higher energy density and thus higher economic value than C₁ products. A novel catalyst material has been developed which can convert CO₂ to multi-carbon products (e.g. ethylene, ethanol) which, when factoring in the use of a renewable electricity source, results in high faradic efficiency (94%) making the conversion economics viable.

Advantages

For industries with a source of on-site (or nearby adjacent and accessible) renewable electricity, this technology will lower the cost for industries to convert CO₂ to ethanol and ethylene or other value-added products. In addition to producing valuable products, the associated lowering of CO₂ may represent a source of carbon credits that can be used to offset other operating emissions or sold into the carbon credit marketplace.

Potential applications

• Reduce CO₂ emissions at industrial sector sources
• Produce ethanol and ethylene as selling products
• Energy storage device for electricity (as chemical energy in ethanol, electricity being regenerated using fuel cell)