SNU Professor Ki Tae Nam Research Team, developed high efficiency electrocatalytic conversion catalyst using copper nanomorphology
Carbon dioxide to ethylene and ethane… 8 time more efficiency than existing electrode


▲ (Left) SNU Department of Materials Science and Engineering Professor Ki Tae Nam, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Professor Sung Jae Kim

 
SNU College of Engineering (Dean Lee Kun-woo) stated on 26th that Department of Materials Science and Engineering Professor Ki Tae Nam research team developed world-first high efficiency conversion system of ethylene and ethane from carbon dioxide on a Cu nanomorphology.
Recently, due to the global warming problem, eco-friendly research on carbon dioxide recycling to fuel is now drawing attention. However, fuel materials from previous researches lacked added value and showed less conversion rate. Therefore, commercialization was limited.
Hence, the research team formulated nanostructure on the surface of cupper electrode and developed high efficiency fuel production system from carbon dioxide. They verified that they producible fuel material can be altered through nanomorphology and revealed its actuation principle.
The developed cupper mesopore electrode increased the conversion rate of carbon dioxide and produce ethylene and ethane selectively with nanomorphology. Especially, it showed 48% ethane conversion efficiency which is 8 time larger than previous ones.
Professor Nam said "This new copper nanoelectrode opened a new prospect in the field of carbon cyling research on carbon dioxide recyling.", and said "The research will be adapted to electrolysis, fuel cell and fine chemical industries as the ubiquitous electron material and electrochemical catalyst.”
The research received world-wide attention and was published online in the most authoritative journal in the field of chemistry, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, on Dec 21th.
The research was led by Materials Science and Engineering Professor Ki Tae Nam, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Professor Sung Jae Kim, Research Professor Hyomin Lee, Kyunghee University Department of Applied Chemisty Min Hyung Lee, SNU Ph.D. candidate Ki Dong Yang, Kyunghee University MS Woo Ri Ko. The research was sponsored by 'Carbon capturing and processing research development center' of the Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning.