Surface Modifications of Silver-Based Porous Electrodes for Efficient Conversion of CO2 into CO

• Grant number: 25/12754-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2025
• End date: July 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Physical-Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Lucia Helena Mascaro Sales
• Grantee: Marcelo Pichi Martins Filho
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 13/07296-2 - CDMF - Center for the Development of Functional Materials, AP.CEPID

Abstract

The growing demand for sustainable technologies to mitigate CO2 emissions has driven the development of electrochemical systems capable of converting this gas into value-added products, such as fuels and chemical feedstocks. However, the efficient integration between carbon capture systems and electrolyzers still presents a significant technological challenge, as the catalysts used in this application have low selectivity or high costs, such as silver. In an effort to make silver usage more viable, strategies have focused on reducing the amount of silver used without compromising its activity in the CO2-to-CO reduction reaction, aiming to enable its implementation in MEA (Membrane Electrode Assembly) type electrolyzers. Therefore, this project proposes investigating the catalytic properties of steel meshes coated with different amounts of silver, with the goal of optimizing their efficiency and overcoming the economic barrier associated with the use of this metal. To achieve this objective, several strategies will be explored: (i) investigating the effect of different silver electrodeposits on steel; (ii) analyzing the impact of operational conditions of the reaction system, such as electrolyte solution concentration, on electrocatalytic activity; (iii) maximizing CO2 conversion by making the most of the reacted gas; and (iv) exploring in situ strategies for catalyst activation. The expectation is to understand the fundamental mechanisms involved in CO electrosynthesis from CO2 and identify strategies for developing more efficient, stable, and low-cost electrodes, contributing to the commercial feasibility and scalability of carbon capture and conversion processes. (AU)