UCLA

As of 2023, atmospheric CO2 concentrations have surged to unprecedent levels, compelling urgent action for large-scale carbon removal to combat climate change. Amidst this pressing need, exploring alternative technologies such as electrocatalytic CO2 reduction to generate liquid fuels emerges as a promising avenue. This approach not only offers the potential to store renewable electricity but also significantly mitigate carbon emissions. However, the scalability of this technology presents many challenges, notably in controlling reaction kinetics and mass transport within electrochemical reactors. Overcoming these obstacles requires efforts towards enhancing catalyst design, refining mass transport mechanisms, and implementing scalable manufacturing methods. In this context, the following research focuses on the development and refinement of a 100 cm2 active electrode area electrocatalytic unit tailored for sustainable CO2 reduction. Its aim is to provide a scalable solution for producing synthetic fuels by converting CO2 exhaust gases from power plants into ethanol, propanol, and butanol using electricity from the grid. This technology would be applied directly at the source of flue gases, contributing to global efforts to combat climate change and transition to a sustainable energy future, while circumventing the land requirement issues often faced when applying similar technologies.