Morphology Specific Carbon Nanomaterial from Carbon Dioxide by a Novel Molten Carbonate Synthesis
Open AccessA high yield, highly pure, and low electricity cost constrained synthesis of carbon nanomaterials from CO2 was studied. In this method, CO2 is directly captured from the atmosphere (415 ppm of CO2 in 2021) to the electrolyte and chemically reacts with lithium oxide in the molten salt system to renew and reform Li2CO3. During electrolysis, carbon products accumulate at the cathode and oxygen evolves at the anode. The net reaction is based on a novel high yield CO2 splitting by electrolysis to carbon nanomaterial and oxygen, such as the C2CNT (CO2 to Carbon NanoTube process). By removing and transforming the greenhouse gas CO2 under controlled electrochemical conditions, many different carbon allotropes are produced. These carbon nanomaterials, like carbon nanotubes (CNTs), carbon nano-onion, carbon nano scaffold, and graphene, have a wide variety of controlled morphologies and properties. CNTs grow at selected nucleation points, and different properties can be controlled by varying the electrochemical synthesis conditions. For example, with sufficient Fe present, ferromagnetic CNTs will grow. By controlling different synthesis time and current density, CNTs with different length, number of walls, and type will form. By the beginning of 2021, 2-5 tonnes of atmospheric CO2 conversion were accomplished making it the winner of Xfactor NRG Cosia Carbon Xprize. Interestingly, when transition metal nucleating agents are excluded from the C2CNT process, CNTs growth is inhibited, and other uniform carbon nanomaterials are synthesized including carbon nano-onions, nano-scaffolds, and carbon nanoplatelets. After electrochemical exfoliation of these carbon allotropes, graphene can be produced. Carbon nano-onions consist of nested concentric carbon spheroids. Its applications often focus on the confined, high surface area or symmetry of the CNO morphology. Graphene has a high surface area, high thermal and electrical conductivity, strength, surface tailorability, and high charge carrier conductivity that makes it uniquely suitable for energy storage, electronics, and other applications. Another application of the C2CNT process is also studied to produce bio-essential component, such as ammonia in large scale. A CO2-free NH3 electrosynthesis from H2O and air under mild electrolysis conditions (60 °C, 1 atm) is reported. Iron oxide (dispersed in hydroxide electrolyte)-catalyzed NH3 synthesis is probed at various temperatures (20–200 °C) and pressures (1–10 atm) with Monel mesh electrodes. Iron calcination preparation of the iron oxide catalyst is optimized by size and then physically constrained to the reactive domain of the electrolysis cell cathode through use of mesh electrodes at even lower temperatures allowing for preferred milder electrosynthesis conditions. These novel constraints enhance NH3 catalyst utilization at low temperature and open future pathways to the addition of ion-specific membranes to the high rate NH3 synthesis cell.
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