Research project Fundamental studies of conversion of CO2 to sustainable fuels and chemicals
Our research aims to deliver knowledge that leads to a sustainable CO2 reduction reaction to obtain chemicals and fuels as an unrivaled energy resource in terms of energy density, storage, and distribution.
Using CO2 as a feedstock to produce fuels and chemicals would ultimately reduce our impact on global warming and dependence on fossil fuels. Converting CO2 into valuable compounds is today energy-demanding; a promising way to make it less energy-demanding is to utilize photo- or electrocatalytic reactions. However, a significant gap in understanding how CO2 reduction occurs prevents the development of efficient catalysts that fulfill the economic and environmental demands. We combine sample environment cells with laser and X-ray operando tools and transient techniques to observe key intermediates and identify redox changes in the catalyst composition, species formed on its surface, and how these respond to external stimuli. Probing the catalyst’s surfaces and surface reactions with complementarity steady-state, operando, and ultrafast in transit methods, we have a versatile tool kit to
investigate the whole reaction path.
Project description
Renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, are intermittent and the energy generated needs to be stored to be available when needed. A very efficient way of storing energy is in the form of chemical bonds, where especially conversion of carbon dioxide back into fuels via electrochemistry is a very attractive option. In addition to storing energy, we also reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere, but an efficient process requires that we need to develop materials that can convert the carbon dioxide into the desired products in an energy-efficient way. Develop the necessary understanding of these complex reactions by monitoring the transformation in time at the atomic and molecular level. We will do this with X-rays from synchrotron light facilities and with ultrashort pulses from new X-ray lasers with the aim of designing materials and processes that are as efficient as possible
convert carbon dioxide into renewable fuels. Today, 85% of all energy comes from fossil fuels and the need for energy is expected to continue to grow. We face challenges both from the limited supply of fossil fuels and from the increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and oceans. To create an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable society, we must we need to improve energy conversion technologies and base them on renewable sources. If we can store solar and wind energy in the form of liquid fuels, we can exploit their high energy density, existing transport systems and also bridge periods when solar and wind make little contribution. One of the biggest scientific challenges today are, in other words, to develop renewable sources of liquid hydrocarbons and alcohols from carbon dioxide on a cost-effective industrial scale. Almost all chemical processes involved in energy conversion are based on electrochemical catalysis. The scientific challenge in converting C O and C O to fuels is the lack of efficient catalysts for large-scale conversion of these gases when captured from carbon-intensive sources or from the atmosphere when the technology becomes available. Copper is currently the only known metal capable of converting C O to hydrocarbons, but how the process works is not known. There is a need to understand and control the catalysis in from how the electrons are redistributed to how the atoms move during the reaction and how different catalysts can affect. Recent developments in synchrotron light sources in the X-ray field and, in particular, the advent of high-intensity X-ray lasers with ultrashort pulses have created new opportunities. The ultrashort pulses act as a high-speed camera at the electron and atomic level, making it possible to follow their movements on the time scale they and thus "see" how chemical bonds are formed and broken. By using different energies at X-rays, we can choose which atoms to follow. In this project we will combine methods to study the catalysis continuously with methods to investigate transient processes such as which intermediates are formed on the surface and how they evolve further. At each time instant in the continuous process, the amount of intermediates is vanishingly small, but by starting the reaction synchronously we can increase the proportion and
characterize these important intermediate steps. They are important because they tell us which path the reaction takes on different materials, which in turn allows us to design materials for different end products. In other words, the aim of the project is to develop a fundamental understanding of all the reaction steps involved, which intermediates involved and how they bind to the catalyst, determine reaction barriers and charge and energy transfer between electrode and adsorbed molecules by analysing relevant model systems. First, we will focus on different formulations of copper as electrode. Of currently unknown reason, some of them may provide a high selectivity for the desired product ethylene over the undesired greenhouse gas methane. What determines this and how it can be optimized is a major challenge to tackle. With the methods we now have available, this is within reach.
Project members
Project managers
Sergey Koroidov
Forskare
