DESIGNING EFFECTIVE ELECTROCATALYTIC SYSTEM FOR DECARBONIZED ELECTROCHEMICAL REACTIONS

In response to growing concerns over carbon emissions and climate change, the demand for sustainable chemical production methods has risen significantly. Traditional fossil fuel-based processes operate at high temperatures and pressures, generating substantial greenhouse gases. In contrast, electrocatalysis offers a promising, renewable electricity-driven approach to synthesize valuable chemicals with the potential for net-zero or even negative carbon emissions. My Ph.D. research focuses on advancing electrocatalytic technologies, particularly through innovations in electrolytes and electrode design, to support decarbonized chemical production.

A central part of my work involves the electrochemical CO₂ reduction reaction (CO2RR), converting CO₂ into useful chemicals such as CO, CH₄, and C₂H₄. This thesis demonstrates that acidic electrolytes can enhance energy efficiency and product selectivity compared to conventional neutral/alkaline systems. My work details the synthesis of size-controlled Cu nanoparticles on carbon black and their electrochemical active surface area (ECSA)-dependent performance, with particular emphasis on C₂H₄ production.

To address the flooding and stability issues of traditional carbon-based gas diffusion layers (GDLs), I developed a novel GDL composed of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-coated PTFE (PEDOT-PTFE). This conductive, hydrophobic GDL significantly improved operational stability. Further optimization of gas permeance and conductivity was achieved by tuning dopants and charge density during electropolymerization. The final PEDOT-PTFE GDL exhibited excellent compatibility with various electrocatalysts and maintained high performance at industrially relevant current densities for over 150 hours.

Overall, this work provides new insights into catalyst/electrolyte effects and GDL engineering for electrocatalytic decarbonization, advancing the field toward scalable, green chemical manufacturing.