Taming CO2 reduction chemistry using an electrochemically mimetic surface kinetics approach

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Alec Michael Wodtke
• Subject Area: Physical Chemistry of Molecules, Liquids and Interfaces, Biophysical Chemistry ; Theoretical Chemistry: Molecules, Materials, Surfaces
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 567052839

The accelerating global climate change, caused by increasing emission of greenhouse gases like CO2 from usage of fossil fuels, demands for a transformation to a sustainable and carbon neutral industry and society. In that respect, electrochemical reduction of CO2 has reached particular interest as it promises a carbon-neutral production of hydrocarbons and alternative fuels for future transport and industrial application. Unfortunately, efforts to increase the yield of such products via catalyst material design have been mostly unsuccessful, with simple Copper (Cu)-based materials remaining the best-performing catalysts. This lack of success is likely due to a missing understanding of the underlying reaction mechanism that leads to reduction of CO2. In contrast, electrolyte design has proven a more successful strategy for improving electrolyzer performance raising questions about the role of kations (usually alkali ions) in the catalytic process. The proposed project aims to close the knowledge gap by using state-of-the-art experimental and theoretical approaches to determine the detailed kinetics for CO2 reduction on copper catalysts. The Wodtke group will use High-Repetition-Rate Velocity-Resolved Kinetics (HRR-VRK) to investigate the interaction of CO, CO2 and H2O with different single crystal copper facets as well as copper surfaces doped with alkali atoms which will introduce strong electric fields at the catalysts and mimic the electric double layer present in electro chemistry. The experimental studies will be accompanied by cutting-edge quantum chemical calculations by the Ringe group aiming to model the experimentally observable time-dependent product flux to gain a microscopic understanding of the underlying reaction mechanism.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: South Korea
• Partner Organisation: National Research Foundation of Korea, NRF
• Cooperation Partner: Professor Dr. Stefan Ringe