Multi-user equipment approved in grant 2022/06419-2: FTIR spectrometer with a mercury cadmium telluride detector cooled by liquid nitrogen

• Grant number: 25/12152-7
• Support Opportunities: Multi-user Equipment Program
• Start date: October 01, 2025
• End date: September 30, 2032
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering - Chemical Technology
• Principal Investigator: Luiz Henrique Vieira
• Grantee: Luiz Henrique Vieira
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química de São Carlos (IQSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• City of the host institution: São Carlos
• Associated research grant: 22/06419-2 - Development of catalytic adsorbents for application in the integrated CO2 capture and conversion, AP.GR

Abstract

The growing problem related to CO2 emissions into the atmosphere associated with insufficient mitigation technologies presented so far to address this problem creates immediate demands for new research in the area. One of the starting points that should be the target of this development is point anthropogenic sources of CO2 emission on a large scale, such as the flue gas from fossil-fuel-based power generation facilities. Brazil has considerably increased the emissions derived from the constant activation of these facilities, as an alternative to the shortage of hydroelectric plants, and little is said about the associated environmental issue. Given this scenario, the proposal presented here aims to nucleate a new research group at DEQ/CCET/UFSCar to work on the development of new technologies and training of human resources at a professional level in the area of CO2 capture and conversion in an integrated process. Specifically, the project refers to the development of new inorganic catalytic adsorbents, which will be constituted by physical mixtures of high surface area porous mesostructured adsorbents promoted with molten alkali metal salts and heterogeneous catalysts of atomically dispersed metals (single-atoms) stabilized on supports with a high concentration of surface defects, for capturing CO2 from flue gas mixtures and converting it to CO through the rWGS route in an integrated isothermal process applying mild conditions. Intermediate in several industrial processes, CO is of great commercial interest, and its synthesis from captured CO2 is highly desired, but little has been explored about its production in integrated capture and conversion systems, and production under mild reaction conditions is still unprecedented. The proposal has a highly interdisciplinary character, involving fundamental research in large areas such as physical-chemistry of interfaces, inorganic chemistry, and chemical engineering, with technological interest for application in the solution of current environmental problems, and will be developed in close collaboration between research groups in Brazil and abroad. (AU)