Gas Phase Electrochemical Reduction of CO 2 in Plastron Structures
Student: Hamed Mehrabi
Degree: Ph.D., May 2021
Major Professor: Dr. Robert Coridan
Research Area(s):
Nanoscience & Engineering
Background/Relevance
- Superhydrophobic structures are used by insects for under water respiration.
- Techniques used in microfluidics can help mimic these structures such as lithography and micro contact printing.
Innovation
-
Electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) of into Hydro carbons and reducing by products such as formic Acid.
- Studying the interface of superhydrophobic structures.
Approach
- Electrochemical deposition of Cu in pH 0 – 10 solution at high rates to create dendritic structures.
- Cyclic voltammetry and chrono-amperometry in CO2 rich environment at different potentials
- Constant CO2flow during CO2RR.
- Gas chromatography for H2, C1 and C2 products.
- NMR for liquid products.
Key Results
- Fabricating airtight electrochemical cells for accurate product analysis using CNC mill.
- Automated python scripts to calculate efficiencies from raw data files.
- Results showing the effect of copper morphology on product branching ratios in gas and liquid products.
Future Work
- Multi-metalic catalysis by galvanic replacement
- Using Cu with different morphologies.
- Galvanic replacement of copper on different metals.
- Analysis of the interface by Mott Schottky analysis.
- Determining the 3D structure of the foams using Nano-CT