Lecture 1

Title: Capture and Catalytic Conversion of CO2 for Sustainable Energy Development

Time: Friday, June 10, 2016, 10:00-11:30

 

[Abstract]

Capturing CO2 and converting it into chemicals, fuels, and materials using renewable energy, is an important path for sustainable development and a major challenge in 21st century. CO2 has become a plentiful source of carbon, and there are long-term merits in using CO2 as a feed for chemicals and materials and as a carrier for energy. CO2 can be captured from industrial flue gases using more energy efficient processes recently developed. One of the new processes for CO2 capture is based on solid “Molecular Basket” sorbent (MBS) being developed at the Pennsylvania State University. The captured or concentrated CO2 can be used for manufacturing chemicals (lower olefins such as ethylene and propylene, methanol, and carbonates), fuels (such as liquid transportation fuels or synthetic natural gas), organic and inorganic materials. Effective use of catalysis and adsorption over nano-porous materials can decouple the traditional link between energy utilization and negative environmental impacts. As an example, the hydrogenation of CO2 over novel bimetallic catalysts  using H2 produced from H2O using renewable energy, can selectively produce either C2-C4= olefins (and liquid hydrocarbons) using Fe-Co catalysts, or methanol over Pd-Cu catalysts. Nano-structured catalysts based on hollow zeolite-encapsulated Ni nanoparticles can create a highly stable and carbon-resistant catalysts for co-conversion of CO2 and CH4 in natural gas or bio-gas to syngas for chemicals and ultra-clean fuels.

 

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Lecture 2

 

[Abstract]

As a part of catalytic fuel processing for fuel cells, water gas shift (WGS) and deep CO removal are critical for hydrogen production and low-temperature fuel cell applications. Our recent work demonstrates the significant advantage of oxygen-enhanced water gas shift (OWGS) for more efficient H2 production over bimetallic catalysts, wherein a small amount of O2 is added to reformate gas to enhance CO shift.  Pd-Cu and Pt-Cu bimetallic catalysts supported on CeO2 show strong synergetic promoting effect in OWGS, which leads to much higher CO conversion and higher H2 yield than WGS at low temperature around 250 oC. TPR showed strong interaction between Pd and Cu in Pd-Cu/CeO2 by a single reduction peak in contrast to multiple peaks on monometallic Cu/CeO2. EXAFS analysis revealed that such bimetallic Pd-Cu and Pt-Cu form alloy nanoparticles, where noble metal is mainly surrounded by Cu atoms. OSC measurements point to higher resistance of Pd-Cu to oxidation indicating that Pd keeps Cu in reduced state in air pulse condition. From kinetic study, Pd in Pd-Cu was found to promote CO shift, rather than CO oxidation, and Cu in Pd-Cu suppress H2 activation (that is inherent to monometallic Pd), which minimizes both the inhibition effect of H2 and the loss of H2 by oxidation in OWGS. Transient response technique revealed that Cu in Pd-Cu enhances desorption of strongly chemisorbed CO2 on catalyst surface in contrast to very slow CO2 desorption from surface of monometallic Pd. The role of CeO2 support will also be discussed.