PHYSICAL SCIENCES INC. — Department of Defense STTR Phase I: ABSTRACT: The efficient production of fuels from carbon dioxide waste would be revolution

Description

ABSTRACT: The efficient production of fuels from carbon dioxide waste would be revolutionary. Catalysts are needed to provide the electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide to liquid fuels. PSI proposes to covalently bind an efficient, high rate rhenium based homogeneous catalyst into a nanoporous cathode for the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide. Because the 2 electron reduction of carbon dioxide by rhenium proceeds via an EC"mechanism, the rate is tied to the Re diffusion to the cathode. In binding the rhenium organometallic to the cathode the carbon dioxide reduction rate is expected to be significantly increased. Cathodic overpotentials of less than 0.5 V relative to theoretical carbon dioxide reduction potential can be achieved through optimum concentration and binding of the Re catalyst at the cathode surface. During a Phase I program a series of heterogeneous rhenium catalysts will be synthesized and then electrochemically characterized for carbon dioxide reduction. We will perform a system level study to understand the full performance of a rhenium catalytic system. During a Phase II program a full electrochemical system for carbon monoxide and hydrogen production will be fabricated, and the heterogenous rhenium catalyst will be examined for photochemical reduction efficiency. BENEFIT: The energy economy for our planet is dominated by carbon based fuels. The introduction of an efficient process to recycle the carbon dioxide into usable fuels would have a significant impact. The conversion of high concentration CO2 effluents from power plants to syngas and then liquid fuels via the PSI Re process coupled to Fischer-Tropsch conversion would have significant commercial potential depending upon the cost structure.