(Invited) Elevated Temperature Electrosynthesis of Fuels and Chemicals Using Carbon Dioxide and Nitrogen through Protonic Ceramic Electrochemical Cells (PCECs)

Abstract

Currently, the main feedstock in chemical and energy industry still comes from nonrenewable petroleum that is being depleted rapidly for fuel and chemical synthesis, leading to significant energy consumption and carbon emissions. To address rising environmental concerns and energy challenges, it is highly desirable to develop green chemical synthesis technologies for a sustainable future. Elevated temperature electrosynthesis through solid oxide cells is a promising strategy because of the following advatanges: (1) it can control the product selectivity by changing the operating potentials and temperatures, (2) it can be operated at ambient pressure, (3) it has high production rate and low overpotential, and (4) it can be easily integrated with other renewable power sources. Despite of these promising features, this technology still faces many challenges. One of the major issues is the relatively low catalyst activity as well as insufficient catalyst stability and durability. Therefore, the development of active and stable electrocatalysts is the key to make high temperature electrosynthesis efficient and practical for industrial scale applications. At Idaho National Laboratory, we have made significant achievements on electrosynthesis for ammonia production and CO2 hydrogenation using protonic ceramic membrane reactors. The outcomes of these researches have the potential to contribute to the US DOE’s goals of growing the energy economy, improving energy efficiency, and innovating clean energy sources.