CO₂ Expanded Electrolytes

Objectives

A universal goal across all sectors is addressing CO₂ production due to its negative impacts. Ideally, no CO₂ is produced. Realistically, processes seek to limit the byproduct CO₂ and capture the rest for use as a feedstock for other applications. As research works toward limiting environmental impacts and decreasing energy consumption, electrochemical methods are particularly useful. Electrochemical reactions typically occur at ambient temperatures and mild pressures (<5 MPa). Yet CO₂ poses a few challenges in its reuse as a thermodynamically stable, kinetic inert, and gaseous molecule at ambient conditions. Thereby, it would be opportune to seek improvements in maintaining multimolar CO₂ concentrations dissolved in electrolytes and increasing activity through the use of electrocatalysts for CO₂ reduction.

Past Projects

Our group investigated CO₂ reduction to value added chemicals specifically carboxylic acids from ketones. However, to utilize CO₂ in electrochemistry, it needs to be supported in an electrolyte solution. Traditional aqueous-based electrolytes are limited by the low solubility of CO₂. We have focused on obtaining multimolar concentrations of CO₂ in electrolyte through CO₂-eXpanded Electrolytes (CXEs). In CXEs there is significant volumetric expansion of the liquid phase with CO₂ dissolution. This project works toward increasing CO₂ concentration at moderate pressure through the use of organic solvents, and improving activity through homogenous molecular electrocatalysts. 

Current Project

Our current project utilizes the core chemistry of CXEs to assist in the recovery of critical minerals from end of life lithium ion batteries. Traditional  recovery methods from batteries include harsh acids, grinding the battery to black mass, and high temperature methods. Charging the battery inside CXEs circumvent the the need for these expensive processes, allowing a for a low energy recovery with high selectivity towards valuable critical minerals.