Electrocatalytic Conversion of CO2 to CO on Single-atom Electrocatalysts in Solid-state Electrolyte Cells

• Grant number: 24/19994-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: October 01, 2025
• End date: September 30, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Physical-Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Fabio Henrique Barros de Lima
• Grantee: Bianca Tainá Ferreira
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química de São Carlos (IQSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 19/22183-6 - Electrocatalysis VI: fundamental and applied aspects of emerging and classical problems in electrochemical energy conversion, AP.TEM

Abstract

The electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2RR) is an emerging technology that offers a promising solution to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and convert CO2 into value-added chemicals and fuels. Unlike what is observed in neutral or alkaline electrolytes, in acidic conditions, CO2 does not react with the electrolyte itself, thus making it preferable for practical application. However, under this condition, low faradaic efficiency is observed due to the parallel hydrogen evolution reaction, which, therefore, necessitates research into more efficient electrocatalysts. In natural electrocatalysts, such as RuBisCo, magnesium is atomically dispersed and coordinated with nitrogen-functional groups in its composition, which can be an aspect of inspiration for new electrocatalyst compositions. Therefore, the general objective of this project is to study, develop, and optimize the electrocatalytic conversion of CO2 to CO in an efficient way and in single electrolyzers, under conditions favorable for practical application, that is, in solid and acidic electrolyte. Inspired by nature, electrocatalysts composed of metals, focusing on magnesium atomically dispersed on nitrogen-doped carbon, will be synthesized, that is, in a single-atom format. Additionally, the effects of surface modification of electrocatalysts by cationic ionomers, which are known to promote the stabilization of reaction intermediates and thus favor CO2RR in acidic electrolyte, will be studied. The ultimate goal is to optimize experimental conditions and study which characteristics are central to achieving high faradaic efficiency for CO formation in real electrolyzers with solid-state electrolyte.