ELCAT

Electrocatalytic Gas-Phase Conversion of CO2 in Confined Catalysts

Action Line: NEST-2003-1 Adventure activities

The technological objective is to demonstrate the feasibility of the electro catalytic gas-phase conversion of CO2 to Fisher- Tropsch (FT) like products (C1-C10 hydrocarbons and alcohols) as alternative innovative process occurring
(i) in milder reaction conditions,
(ii) starting from CO2 instead of CO and
(iii) having a selective supplying of energy which allow the tuning of the product distribution. Scientific objectives of the projects are to
(i) demonstrate the feasibility of the use of electro catalytic approach to improve the selective use of energy and tune/control the catalytic performances;
(ii) develop novel functionalised nanotubes and demonstrate their use in developing novel electro-catalysts materials with possible potential applications in a range of other areas such as fuel cells, sensors, microtechnology;
(iii) demonstrate the use of the concept of the confinement effect in nanomaterials to promote catalytic reactions;
(iv) demonstrate the feasibility of combining catalysts and membranes (electrochemically driven) to develop new process options with possible potential applications in a range of other areas such as energy and chemical syntheses. Two alternative conceptual approaches are explored. The first is based on the gas-phase conversion of CO2 to FT-like products by reaction of protons (diffusing through a proton membrane) and electrons with CO2 on metal nanoparticles located inside nanotubes in order to have a confinement of CO2 (key concept to form FT-like products). The second approach is based on the same type of electrocatalyst, but using oxygen anion (O2-) conducting membranes to continuously subtract oxygen from the reaction environment and therefore reduce directly CO2 with H2 to FT-products.

RCN: 74691
Last updated: 2009-07-20 11:10:41.0

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