Application of Non-Thermal Plasmas (NTP) in defect engineering of electrocatalysts for the efficient conversion of CO2 into C2+ molecules

• Grant number: 25/01523-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date: February 01, 2026
• End date: January 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering - Nonmetallic Materials
• Principal Investigator: Cauê Ribeiro de Oliveira
• Grantee: José Balena Gabriel Filho
• Supervisor: David B Go
• Host Institution: Embrapa Instrumentação Agropecuária. Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA). Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento (Brasil). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Notre Dame, United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 23/10329-1 - Production of value-added organic compounds (C2+) through the dry electrochemical reform of CH4 in supercritical CO2., BP.PD

Abstract

In an era where society is intrinsically dependent on fossil stocks for energy and chemicals, and at the same time, the excessive usage of these resources brings severe global changes as consequences, the decarbonization of energy becomes imminent. Technologies to harness energy from renewable sources are essential for this energetic matrix change. Among them, the sustainable transformation of chemical compounds through electrification stands out as a promising route. In this context, CO2, the main driver of global warming, can be converted into value-added products, such as organic molecules with two or more carbons in the structure (C2+). Electrocatalysis has already proven that it is possible to couple C-C in an aprotic medium. Keeping this in mind, the innovative approach of the present project is the electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 in supercritical conditions. In this way, it can act both as a solvent and the substrate, increasing its availability on the electrode surface and also avoiding undesired reactions such as H2 evolution or C1 production (produced in H+ presence), which significantly reduces the efficiency of carbon chain growth. The aim of the internship abroad is to explore the defect engineering of electrodes using non-thermal plasmas (especially Dielectric Barrier Discharge, DBD) to generate specific sites that could favor the adsorption of CO2 and then the enhancement activity for C2+ during the electrocatalysis process. In addition, DBD will also be applied to study plasma-assisted CO2 reduction under ambient and supercritical conditions. In the latter case, a reactor will be designed so that the plasma can be formed at high pressures. The main advantage of plasma over conventional electrochemical routes is its ability to activate CO2. Besides that, there is no need for electrolytes, i.e., the reaction can be performed directly using the power supply, catalyst, and continuous-flow gas. Finally, efforts will be devoted to understanding the structure-activity relationship in each type of reactor, rigorously characterizing the catalyst and the reaction medium.Keywords: