Madeline Jay
Research Mentor(s): Joshua Jack
Mentor Department: Environmental Engineering
Authors: Madeline Jay, Sophie Kochanek, Joshua Jack
Session: Session 3 (11:00am – 11:50am)
Presentation Type: Poster 55
Abstract
The performance of a CuO/ZnO catalyst in the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide is studied with the aim of creating a cost-effective and sustainable method of reducing carbon dioxide emissions. This will also provide a new source for sustainable fuels and materials like methanol, contributing to the shift toward a more circular carbon economy. The CuO/ZnO catalyst was prepared via coprecipitation and will be characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The catalyst will be applied to carbon paper via airbrushing along with Cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPc). We expect to see that the catalyst will be effective in reducing carbon dioxide, but the amount converted to methanol remains to be seen. It is likely that a majority of the reduced product will be formic acid. A previous use of CuO/ZnO catalysts used in the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide reported a Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 17.7% with a current density of 10.64 mA/cm^2; however, did not incorporate CoPc. Our hope is that CoPc in addition to the CuO/ZnO catalyst will aid in the reduction and will convert more CO2 than just the CuO/ZnO catalyst.
