The world is continuously indulged in finding ways that can reduce long-terms environmental impacts. The development of this ecological conscience has led to the idea of replacing the industrial process that emits carbon dioxide. For instance, wind and solar generation have reached popularity for the production of electricity and replaced fossil fuel power plants. Furthermore, researchers are continuously working towards replacing fossil fuels to generate heat with nuclear power plants that will provide carbon-free heat to industries. However, eliminating all industrial processes is impossible to achieve, at least before global temperatures have reached critical levels.
Now, a research team has found another solution to this agenda. They have successfully developed an electrochemical cell that has the ability to convert gaseous CO2 into valuable compounds. This a revolutionary development for Electrochemical Cell Market as the technology has great potential for turning gaseous carbon dioxide into some other useful intermediaries. The researchers stated that the device would be present at the source of carbon emissions and would need heat and electricity to operate.
An electrochemical cell refers to a device that can enable two functions. First, it can either generate electricity from a chemical reaction (such as a battery). Second, it can be used as electricity to power a chemical reaction (such as making hydrogen). For this device, researchers used a “protonic ceramic electrochemical cell” to facilitate a chemical reaction that can turn Co2 into methane or carbon monoxide. Both compounds are essential for a range of industrial products or processes, particularly syngas (Essential for reducing the U.S’s dependence on fossil fuels).
The novel aspect of the cell is the use of ceramic material that readily conducts hydrogen atoms. Thus, these protons can be made available by any simple molecule like water. Furthermore, the material enables an electrochemical reaction that mixes protons with carbon pollution, in turn making valuable chemicals.
The most significant advantage of this cell is that it enables the operator to fine-tune the ceramic material to create the desired chemical at intermediate temperatures. Nanoparticles or nanoclusters (highly selective for the production of carbon monoxide or methane) can be synthesized by tuning morphology at the cathode’s surface environment.
The electrochemical cell is well-positioned to benefit from high-temperature technologies like the integrated energy systems that contain the next generation of innovative nuclear reactors. The research team revealed their next step in relation to this research, where they would make use of advanced manufacturing techniques to produce larger electrochemical cells so that the cells could be incorporated into an integrated energy demonstration project.