A High-Efficiency Process for CO2 Conversion to Hydrocarbon Fuels

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the major flue gases emitted from conventional power plants that burn coal as a fuel. Enormous CO2 emissions are direct cause of global warming. Practical conversion of waste CO2 into valuable fuels would partially “close the carbon loop” and can have significant environmental benefits. General statement of how this problem is being addressed. The overall objective of this project is to electrochemically convert CO2 to valuable hydrocarbon using renewable energy. This process will be realized via high-performance CO2 reduction catalyst and optimized electrochemical cell design. What is to be done in Phase I? In the Phase I project, highly selective nanostructured copper catalysts will be synthesized, which can help convert CO2 to methane at high faradaic efficiency. The developed electrocatalyst will be integrated into membrane and electrode assemblies (MEAs) that will be evaluated in our electrolyzer platform. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits The proposed technology will first significantly diminish the emission of CO2, which is a primary source for global warming. Second, it uses surplus renewable energy for CO2 conversion to fuels; this will address a persistent challenge of storing surplus energy during “off-peak” time. Finally, the produced hydrocarbons from CO2 can be directly used as fuels or used to synthesize other chemical compounds. Key Words: CO2 conversion, hydrocarbon fuels, catalysts, efficiency, renewable energy