Understanding Electrocatalytic Carbon Dioxide Conversion

Abstract

The efficient electrochemical conversion of CO2 to fuels or stock chemicals with high-energy density would be a major step forward in the introduction of a carbon neutral energy cycle, as it would allow for the direct low-temperature conversion of photo-generated electrical current to stored chemical energy, in a manner very similar to the way nature stores solar energy. The high activity and selectivity towards electrocatalytic conversion of CO2 can be achieved with careful selection of catalyst and electrolyte. Especially, understanding the role of electrocatalysts and electrolytes that can efficiently reduce CO2 to fuels with high selectivity is a subject of significant interest. In this talk, I'll introduce diverse in-situ techniques to unravel the reaction mechanism for efficient electrochemical CO2 conversion.