Paul J. A. Kenis

The reaction of species in solutions flowing laminarly (without turbulent mixing) inside capillaries was used as the basis for a broadly applicable method of microfabrication. In this method, patterning occurs as a result of transport of reactive species to interfaces within the capillary by laminar flow. A wide range of chemistries can be used to generate structures with feature sizes of less than 5 micrometers and with spatial localization to within 5 micrometers. The method is applicable to t

We introduce a gross-margin model to evaluate the technoeconomic feasibility of producing different C1 -C2 chemicals such as carbon monoxide, formic acid, methanol, methane, ethanol, and ethylene through the electroreduction of CO2 . Key performance benchmarks including the maximum operating cell potential (Vmax ), minimum operating current density (jmin ), Faradaic efficiency (FE), and catalyst durability (tcatdur ) are derived. The Vmax values obtained for the different chemicals indicate that

Cost competitive electroreduction of CO2 to CO requires electrochemical systems that exhibit partial current density (jCO) exceeding 150 mA cm–2 at cell overpotentials (|ηcell|) less than 1 V. However, achieving such benchmarks remains difficult. Here, we report the electroreduction of CO2 on a supported gold catalyst in an alkaline flow electrolyzer with performance levels close to the economic viability criteria. Onset of CO production occurred at cell and cathode overpotentials of just −0.25

The electroreduction of CO2 to C1-C2 chemicals can be a potential strategy for utilizing CO2 as a carbon feedstock. In this work, we investigate the effect of electrolytes on the electroreduction of CO2 to CO on Ag based gas diffusion electrodes. Electrolyte concentration was found to play a major role in the process for the electrolytes (KOH, KCl, and KHCO3) studied here. Several fold improvements in partial current densities of CO (jCO) were observed on moving from 0.5 M to 3.0 M electrolyte s

Abstract The catalyst layer of the cathode is arguably the most critical component of low‐temperature fuel cells and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) electrolysis cells because their performance is typically limited by slow oxygen (O 2 ) and CO 2 reduction kinetics. While significant efforts have focused on developing cathode catalysts with improved activity and stability, fewer efforts have focused on engineering the catalyst layer structure to maximize catalyst utilization and overall electrode and syst

Although significant research efforts have focused on the exploration of catalysts for the electrochemical reduction of CO2 , considerably fewer reports have described how support materials for these catalysts affect their performance, which includes their ability to reduce the overpotential, and/or to increase the catalyst utilization and selectivity. Here Ag nanoparticles supported on carbon black (Ag/C) and on titanium dioxide (Ag/TiO2 ) were synthesized. In a flow reactor, 40 wt % Ag/TiO2 ex

The incorporation of MWCNT in the Ag electrode catalyst layer improves charge transfer within the catalyst layer, therefore significantly enhancing catalyst utilization for the electroreduction of CO₂to CO.

The world emits over 14 gigatons of CO₂ in excess of what can be remediated by natural processes annually, contributing to rising atmospheric CO₂ levels and increasing global temperatures. The electrochemical reduction of CO₂ (CO₂ RR) to value-added chemicals and fuels has been proposed as a method for reusing these excess anthropogenic emissions. While state-of-the-art CO₂ RR systems exhibit high current densities and faradaic efficiencies,

Quantifying the local pH of a gas diffusion electrode undergoing CO2 reduction is a complicated problem owing to a multitude of competing processes, both electrochemical- and transport-related, possibly affecting the pH at the surface. Here, we present surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and electrochemical data evaluating the local pH of Cu in an alkaline flow electrolyzer for CO2 reduction. The local pH is evaluated by using the ratio of the SERS signals for HCO3– and CO32–. We find tha