Carbon dioxide reduction over single wall nanotubes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016281245-A1
Application number	US-201415038126-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 20, 2014
Priority date	Nov 20, 2013
Publication date	Sep 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed herein are various layered, carbon-containing materials for use in reducing carbon dioxide. In certain embodiments, the materials comprise single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs).

First claim

Therefore, at least the following is claimed:

1 . A method, comprising:
providing an electrolyte including dissolved carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) to an sp 2 bonded carbon electrode; and reducing the dissolved CO 2 via electroreduction by powering the sp 2 bonded carbon electrode.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising mixing CO 2 with the electrolyte to produce the electrolyte including dissolved CO 2 .

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the CO 2 is remotely mixed with the electrolyte.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the CO 2 diffuses through a lyophobic, porous membrane to mix with the electrolyte.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sp 2 bonded carbon electrode comprises carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, a carbon-carbon compact, a multilayer graphene film, reduced graphene oxide, pyrolytic graphite, and/or microcrystalline graphite.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sp 2 bonded carbon electrode comprises single wall carbon nanotubes.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the atomic percent of carbon in the sp 2 bonded carbon electrode is at least about 70%.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sp 2 bonded carbon electrode has a layered structure.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the space between at least two adjacent layers of the layered structure is at least about 0.1 nm.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sp 2 bonded carbon electrode has a sheet resistance of about 500 ohms/sq or less.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein CO 2 reduction initiates at an overpotential of about 1 V or less.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein CO 2 reduction produces at least one of formate, acetate, carbon monoxide, methanol, ethanol, methane, ethane, formaldehyde, or acetaldehyde.

13 . A carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) reduction cell, comprising:
a layered, sp 2 bonded carbon material; a lyophobic, porous membrane comprising a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the layered, sp 2 bonded carbon material disposed on the first side of the membrane; a chamber on the second side of the membrane, the chamber including CO 2 ; and an electrolyte volume on the first side of the membrane, the electrolyte volume including an electrolyte in contact with the layered, sp 2 bonded carbon material, where CO 2 diffuses from the chamber through the membrane into the electrolyte and supplying power to the layered, sp 2 bonded carbon material reduces the CO 2 in the electrolyte.

14 . The CO 2 reduction cell of claim 13 , wherein the CO 2 reduction produces at least one of formic acid ions, carbon monoxide, methanol, ethanol, methane or ethane, acetic acid, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde.

15 . The CO 2 reduction cell of claim 13 , wherein the electrolyte wets the layered, sp 2 bonded carbon material through to the first side of the membrane.

16 . The CO 2 reduction cell of claim 13 , wherein the electrolyte comprises dimethylformamide (DMF), tetrabutylammonium hexafluorophosphate (TBAPF 6 ), tetrabutylammonium tetrafluoroborate (TBABF 4 ), and water (H 2 O).

17 . The CO 2 reduction cell of claim 13 , wherein the layered, sp 2 bonded carbon material comprises a single wall carbon nanotube (SWNT) film.

18 . The CO 2 reduction cell of claim 17 , wherein the SWNT film is about 1.5 μm thick.

19 . The CO 2 reduction cell of claim 17 , wherein the SWNT film has been electrochemically activated.

20 . The CO 2 reduction cell of claim 13 , wherein the membrane is a PTFE membrane.

21 . The CO 2 reduction cell of claim 13 , further comprising a power supply coupled to the layered, sp 2 bonded carbon material.

22 . The CO 2 reduction cell of claim 13 , wherein the power supply is coupled to the layered, sp 2 bonded carbon material via a contact electrode that overlaps a portion of the layered, sp 2 bonded carbon material.

23 . A method, comprising:
providing a gas phase medium including CO 2 to a first side of a lyophobic, porous membrane, where at least a portion of the CO 2 diffuses through the lyophobic, porous membrane into an electrolyte in contact with a second side of the lyophobic, porous membrane; and providing power to a sp 2 bonded carbon material film disposed on the second side of the lyophobic, porous membrane, where powering the sp 2 bonded carbon material reduces the CO 2 in the electrolyte.

24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the sp 2 bonded carbon material comprises a single wall carbon nanotube (SWNT) film.

25 . The method of claim 24 , wherein CO 2 reduction initiates at an overpotential of about 0.05 V.

26 . The method of claim 24 , wherein a power supply provides power to the SWNT film via a contact electrode that overlaps a portion of the SWNT film.

27 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the power supply is coupled between the SWNT film and an anode in contact with the electrolyte.

28 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the CO 2 reduction produces at least one of formic acid ions, acetic acid ions, carbon monoxide, methanol, ethanol, methane, ethane, formaldehyde, or acetaldehyde.

Assignees

• Univ Florida

Inventors

• Rinzler Andrew Gabriel
• Das Rajib Kumar
• Vasilyeva Svetlana V

Classifications

• C25B1/01

  Products · CPC title

• B82Y30/00 Primary

  Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites · CPC title

• C25B11/075

  consisting of a single catalytic element or catalytic compound · CPC title

• C25B13/08

  based on organic materials · CPC title

• C25B13/02

  characterised by shape or form · CPC title