Metal-organic framework-based CO2 reduction catalysis in electrocatalytic devices for sustainable methanol and ethylene production

Carbon dioxide capture and utilization is one of the key technologies to decrease CO2 emissions and to minimize our climate footprint.

At the same time, large scale point source emitters of CO2 provide high percentage CO2 streams that can be used as a carbon feedstock for the production of fuels and commodity chemicals, thus decreasing our dependence on fossil resources such as oil or natural gas.Using CO2 as a carbon feedstock, we will develop conceptually novel electrolyzer devices for the product-selective electrochemical reduction of CO2 to methanol and ethene.

We will utilize highly innovative electrode designs based on molecular catalysts that are incorporated into metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) to direct the CO2 reduction reaction to the desired products.

The MOF-based catalysts will be integrated with state-of-the-art gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs) which are then incorporated into flow cell electrolyzers.The project will take a wholistic approach and match the MOF-based catalysts to operational device parameters.

We will systematically explore catalyst designs, reaction conditions and exposure time of the CO2 stream to the electrocatalytic reducing conditions.

At the same time, we will test different GDE architectures and cell designs for achieving high product selectivity and electricity-to-product (Faradaic) efficiency.

The project will be conducted in collaboration with the Research Institute of Sweden (RISE), and with support from an industrial actor.