Exploring the Electrochemical Reduction of Carbon Dioxide via Nitrogen-doped Carbon Fiber Electrodes.
Abstract
Carbon serves as the base element for life. As such, it is crucial to the success of the biosphere that there are available sources of carbon. The release of CO2 into the atmosphere is troublesome to the biosphere because the carbon atom in CO2 is completely oxidized and therefore will virtually never react spontaneously. In order to reduce that carbon atom to a more readily available species, it typically requires a catalyst and some amount of energy input. In this project, pyrrolic nitrogen atoms will be used to serve as an active site for electrocatalytic reduction by preparing nitrogen-doped carbon fiber materials with high surface contents of pyrrolic nitrogen. The reductive capabilities of these materials will be measured using Quartz Crystal Microbalance, which can detect mass changes on the surface of the sensor, along with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, which can determine the chemical state of the surface of materials. These materials will be used to reduce atmospheric levels of CO2 and to characterize the electrochemical reduction mechanism.
Start Time
16-4-2025 9:00 AM
End Time
16-4-2025 10:00 AM
Room Number
272
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Presentation Subtype
Research-in-Progress
Presentation Category
Science, Technology and Engineering
Faculty Mentor
Gregory Bishop
Exploring the Electrochemical Reduction of Carbon Dioxide via Nitrogen-doped Carbon Fiber Electrodes.
272
Carbon serves as the base element for life. As such, it is crucial to the success of the biosphere that there are available sources of carbon. The release of CO2 into the atmosphere is troublesome to the biosphere because the carbon atom in CO2 is completely oxidized and therefore will virtually never react spontaneously. In order to reduce that carbon atom to a more readily available species, it typically requires a catalyst and some amount of energy input. In this project, pyrrolic nitrogen atoms will be used to serve as an active site for electrocatalytic reduction by preparing nitrogen-doped carbon fiber materials with high surface contents of pyrrolic nitrogen. The reductive capabilities of these materials will be measured using Quartz Crystal Microbalance, which can detect mass changes on the surface of the sensor, along with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, which can determine the chemical state of the surface of materials. These materials will be used to reduce atmospheric levels of CO2 and to characterize the electrochemical reduction mechanism.