Dilute alloy catalysts for electrochemical co2 reduction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021147989-A1
Application number	US-202017061165-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 1, 2020
Priority date	Nov 15, 2019
Publication date	May 20, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A product includes a dilute alloy catalyst for carbon dioxide reduction. The catalyst has a majority component and at least one minority component. The majority component is present in a concentration of greater than 90 atomic percent of the catalyst. The majority component is copper, and each minority component is selected from the group consisting of: a transition metal, a main group metal, a lanthanide, and a semimetal. A method includes forming a product on a cathode. The product includes a dilute alloy catalyst for carbon dioxide reduction. The catalyst has a majority component and at least one minority component. The majority component is present in a concentration of greater than 90 atomic percent of the catalyst. The majority component is copper, and each minority component is selected from the group consisting of: a transition metal, a main group metal, a lanthanide, and a semimetal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A product, the product comprising:
a dilute alloy catalyst for carbon dioxide reduction, the catalyst having a majority component and at least one minority component, wherein the majority component is present in a concentration of greater than 90 atomic percent of the catalyst, wherein the majority component is copper, wherein each minority component is selected from the group consisting of: a transition metal, a main group metal, a lanthanide, and a semimetal.

2 . The product as recited in claim 1 , wherein the catalyst is porous, wherein at least 50% of the catalyst by volume is void space.

3 . The product as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one minority component includes aluminum in a concentration of 0.1 to less than 10 atomic percent of the catalyst.

4 . The product as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one minority component includes gallium in a concentration of 0.1 to less than 10 atomic percent of the catalyst.

5 . The product as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one minority component is selected from the group consisting of: gold and silver.

6 . The product as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one minority component includes an element selected from the group consisting of: titanium, calcium, and magnesium.

7 . The product as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one minority component includes boron.

8 . The product as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one minority component is present in a concentration of less than 6 atomic percent of the catalyst.

9 . The product as recited in claim 1 , wherein the catalyst is configured to catalyze the reduction of carbon dioxide to methane.

10 . The product as recited in claim 1 , wherein the catalyst is configured to catalyze the reduction of carbon dioxide to ethylene.

11 . The product as recited in claim 1 , wherein the catalyst is a single phase alloy of the majority component and the at least one minority component.

12 . The product as recited in claim 11 , wherein the catalyst includes ball milled single phase particles of the majority component and the at least one minority component.

13 . The product as recited in claim 1 , comprising a cathode, the catalyst being coupled to the cathode.

14 . The product as recited in claim 13 , comprising a vessel and an anode, the cathode and the anode being positioned in the vessel and spaced apart from one another, the vessel having a membrane positioned between the cathode and the anode.

15 . A method, comprising:
forming a product on a cathode, wherein the product comprises a dilute alloy catalyst for carbon dioxide reduction, the catalyst having a majority component and at least one minority component, wherein the majority component is present in a concentration of greater than 90 atomic percent of the catalyst, wherein the majority component is copper, wherein each minority component is selected from the group consisting of: a transition metal, a main group metal, a lanthanide, and a semimetal.

16 . The method as recited in claim 15 , wherein forming the product on the cathode includes applying the product directly to the cathode.

17 . The method as recited in claim 16 , wherein applying the product directly to the cathode includes magnetron sputtering.

18 . The method as recited in claim 16 , wherein applying the product directly to the cathode includes e-beam evaporation.

19 . The method as recited in claim 16 , wherein applying the product directly to the cathode includes electrodeposition.

20 . The method as recited in claim 15 , wherein the dilute alloy catalyst is integrated into an ink, wherein forming the product on the cathode includes ink jetting.

21 . The method as recited in claim 15 , comprising positioning the cathode in a vessel and positioning an anode in the vessel, the vessel having a membrane positioned between the cathode and anode.

Assignees

• L Livermore Nat Security Llc

Inventors

• Biener Juergen
• Akhade Sneha
• Biener Monika
• Qi Zhen
• Varley Joel
• Weitzner Stephen
• Vedharathinam Vedasri

Classifications

• C25D3/58

  containing more than 50% by weight of copper · CPC title

• C25B3/03

  Acyclic or carbocyclic hydrocarbons · CPC title

• C25B3/26

  of carbon dioxide · CPC title

• C25B9/19

  with diaphragms · CPC title

• C25B11/089

  Alloys · CPC title