ELECTROLYTIC POLYMER CELLS FOR CARBON DIOXIDE CONVERSION

THIS PROJECT IS DIRECTED TOWARDS THE DDEVELOPMENT OF ELECTROLYTIC POLYMER CELL TECHNOLOGY, INCORPORATING ADVANCED ELECTROCATALYSTS RECENTLY IDENTIFIED FOR THE DIRECT ELECTROCHEMICAL CONVERSION OF CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2) TO USEFUL CHEMICAL FEEDSTOCKS. CO2 WILL BE SUPPLIED TO THE ELECTROLYTIC CELL CATHODE COMPARTMENT AS A CONCENTRATED STREAM ORIGINATING FROM ADVANCED FLUE GAS TECHNOLOGIES. SPECIFIC CO2 REDUCTION PRODUCTS OF INTEREST ARE ETHYLENE ETHANOL, AND PROPANOL. ELECTROCATALYTIC CELLS TO BE INVESTIGATED WILL BE BASED UPON BOTH PROTON AND HYDROXIDE ION CONDUCTING POLYMER ELECTROLYTE MEMBRANES. ELECTROCATALYSTS FOR CO2 REDUCTION WILL FAVOR HIGH COVERAGE BY AN ADSORBED CARBON MONOXIDE INTERMEDIATE WHICH WILL BE EXPECTED TO PERMIT LOW OVERPOTENTIALS ASSOCIATED WITH SUBSEQUENT ELECTRON TRANSFER LEADING TO THE EFFICIENT SYNTHESIS OF HYDROCARBONS AND ALCOHOLS. THERE ARE CLEAR INCENTIVES FOR DEVELOPMENT OF THIS TECHNOLOGY WHICH WILL BOTH LOWER COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH IMPORTANT CHEMICAL FEEDSTOCKS AND DECOUPLE DEPENDENCY FOR THEIR SYNTHESIS UPON IMPORTED OIL, BASED UPON CONSUMPTION OF A GREENHOUSE EMISSION GAS.