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Project title

Localized nanocatalysts embedded into a polymeric matrix for CO2 reduction

Primary Funding Agency

Irish Research Council

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

n/a

Lead Organisation

National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG)

Lead Applicant

n/a

Project Abstract

The interest in metal nanoparticles (MNPs) is very strong at both academic and industrial levels owing to their applications in various fields, such as catalysis and energy storage. Properties of MNPs depend on their shape, size, defects, and their chemical environment. By utilizing them in gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs), the MNPs can catalyze the electrochemical reduction of CO2. GDEs are crucial for high current density electrochemical devices, however, they are expensive to fabricate due to the multiple intricate layers required for their construction. Furthermore, it has proven difficult to control catalyst dispersion, activity, and selectivity in these devices. This work proposes two novel strategies to localize nanocatalysts embedded into a conductive porous polymeric matrix, which can act as an all-in-one solution to these problems. The proposed approach aims to control MNP size, shape, and surface coverage to achieve high selectivity towards the targeted products. The resulting matrix will be used in the construction of a highly efficient GDE for electrochemical CO2 reduction. The first strategy will be focused on the synthesis of inter-linked MNPs (such as Ru or Pt) using bifunctional ligands and conductive polymer chains (namely polyaniline, polypyrrole, or polythiophene) to produce the porous matrix. On the other hand, the second approach will aim to synthesize the embedded MNPs by applying an external stimulus (like heat or UV light) to molecular metal complexes localized across the conductive polymeric matrix. Owing to the designed properties of these novel polymer-MNP nanocomposites, they can act as an exchange membrane, catalyst, and gas diffusion layer simultaneously. By merging these layers, the flexibility, stability, and cost-effectiveness of GDEs can be improved. Moreover, our GDEs can be modified to accommodate different catalysts to achieve high activity and selectivity towards a variety of final products.

Grant Approved

�110,000.00

Research Hub

Climate research

Research Theme

Achieving climate neutrality by 2050.

Start Date

01/09/2021

Initial Projected Completion Date

31/08/2025