Research Projects

The transition from traditional thermocatalysis, which relies on fossil fuels to produce valuable chemicals, to electrocatalysis is crucial for addressing climate change. When powered by renewable energy sources, electrocatalytic processes offer a carbon-neutral or even carbon-negative approach, making this research not only timely but essential for meeting global emissions targets. Currently, most electrocatalytic methods primarily focus on producing C₁ compounds, such as CO and HCOOH, with limited success in making higher-order carbon products. In this context, the utilization of transition metal phosphide (TMP) catalysts for converting CO₂ into valuable chemicals presents a highly promising solution. Specifically, we have discovered that TMP predominantly follow a formate pathway, producing C₁, C₃, and C₄ products (formic acid, methylglyoxal, and 2,3-furandiol). The objective of this work is to study and fine-tune the reaction mechanism to selectively produce C₂ products (ethylene glycol and ethanol) on P-rich TMP electrocatalysts. Furthermore, aim is to improve the reaction performance by suppressing the unwanted H₂ formation. In order to achieve this, the project will focus on: 1. Synthesizing P-rich TMP nanocatalysts (MoP₂, VP₂, Ru₂P, and Au₃P₄) using solid-state method. 2. Investigate the impact of protic and aprotic solvents (including DMSO, CH₃CN, propylene carbonate (PC), and dimethyl ether (DME)) on product distribution by conducting experiments in H-cells. 3. Employing in-situ IR and Raman spectroscopy to study the various intermediates formed on the catalyst surface. 4. Transition from batch cells to flow cell electrolyzers to enhance reaction rates, systematically evaluating promising catalysts and other key parameters. We hypothesize that several factors will significantly enhance the efficiency of CO₂RR in producing C₂ products. First, the synthesis of novel nano-sized electrocatalysts with optimized metal-to-phosphorus ratio is anticipated to provide the appropriate active sites needed to shift the product distribution from C₃ and C₄ to C₂. Second, the choice of solvent is anticipated to play a crucial role in influencing the binding strength of CO₂ intermediates on the catalyst surface. A solvent that promotes favorable interactions (C-C coupling) with these intermediates could enhance the yields of C₂ products. Finally, transitioning to flow cell configurations is predicted to improve mass transport to the electrode surface, which is critical for maintaining high current densities. This transition should also mitigate competing H₂ evolution. Collectively, these hypotheses underscore the multifaceted approach needed to optimize electrocatalytic CO₂RR. Successfully achieving the project’s objectives would represent a significant advancement. This research could lead to: (i) new insights into the reaction mechanisms at the atomic level (ii) the development of viable catalysts that can be used to produce C₂ chemicals.