Sustainable Strategies for Solar Electrochemical Reduction of Carbon Dioxide to Fuels

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Sustainable Strategies for Solar Electrochemical Reduction of Carbon Dioxide to fuels

Publication . Messias, Sofia; Branco, Luís; Machado, Ana

The increasing concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere led to global warming and climate changes. Among these gases, carbon dioxide has experienced the most significant increase, amplifying the urgency of addressing this issue. Thus, processes like electrochemical or photoelectrochemical conversion of CO2 have gained much attention, allowing the storage of intermittent and renewable sources of energy in the form of chemical building blocks and/or fuels. The aim of this work was focused on the development of a (photo)electrochemical process operating at high pressures for co-electrolyzing water and CO2 to produce syngas (H2 and CO) using aqueous ionic liquids (ILs) as electrolytes. A high electrochemical reactor with a configuration able to be used industrially for electrolysis in liquid phase was for the first time reported. The results obtained showed the possibility to achieve full conversions of CO2 into CO, as new reported for the high maturity process of gas phase CO2 electrolysis. Furthermore, operation at high pressure allows the direct coupling of the process under development with other high pressure processes, such as Fischer-Tropsch, which use syngas as a raw material. It is important to emphasise that the electrolyte plays a crucial role in (photo)electrochemical processes. Porous cathodes prepared using biopolymers, and non-critical materials, exhibited activity for syngas production. The development of a photoelectrochemical process using advanced photoanodes in collaboration with Cantabria and Oporto Universities have been performed. This thesis can open new avenues for sustainable energy solutions.

2024-07-22Tese de doutoramento

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Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia

Programa de financiamento

OE

Número da atribuição

SFRH/BD/147219/2019