Project Grant 2207302

This three-year Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems, under the Engineering program (CFDA 47.041), provides $273,000 to Purdue University to develop porous bi-layer catalysts for converting carbon dioxide into valuable C2+ products like ethylene at industrially relevant rates. A collaborative team from Purdue University and University of Wisconsin-La Crosse will engineer novel layered catalyst structures combining their expertise in catalyst fabrication and electrochemical testing. Specifically, the researchers aim to design gas-diffusion layer substrate-supported porous bi-layer catalysts for use in gas-fed carbon dioxide electrolyzers. By creating asymmetric reaction sites through a bi-layer structure, the researchers expect the catalysts to demonstrate greater selectivity and higher conversion rates than single-material catalysts. Outcomes of this research could enable more efficient, sustainable production of chemicals and fuels from renewable energy sources.