- Identification of the operating mechanism of cobalt-based single-atomic catalyst and development of a mass production process - Utilization for catalyst development in various fields including fuel cells, water electrolysis, solar cells, and petrochemical Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) are an eco-friendly means of transportation that will replace internal combustion locomotives. FCEVs offer several advantages such as short charging time and long mileage. However, the excessive cost of platinum used as a fuel cell catalyst leads to limited supply of FCEVs. There has been extensive research on non-precious metal catalysts such as iron and cobalt to replace platinum; however, it is still challenging to find substitutes for platinum due to low performance and low stability of non-precious metal catalysts. The research team led by Dr. Sung Jong Yoo of the Hydrogen·Fuel Cell Research Center at Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST, President Seok Jin Yoon) conducted joint research with professor Jinsoo Kim of Kyung Hee University and professor Hyung-Kyu Lim of Kangwon National University; they announced that they have developed a single atomic cobalt-based catalyst with approximately 40% improved performance and stability compared to contemporary cobalt nanoparticle catalysts. Conventional catalysts are typically synthesized via pyrolysis, wherein transition metal precursors and carbon are mixed at 700？1000℃. However, due to metal aggregation and a low specific surface area, the catalysts obtained through this process had a limited activity. Accordingly, researchers have focused on synthesizing single-atomic catalysts; however, previously reported single-atomic catalysts can only be produced in small quantities because the chemical substances and synthesis methods used varied depending on the type of the synthesized catalyst . Therefore, research has focused on performance improvement of the catalyst rather than the manufacturing process. To address this problem, the spray pyrolysis method was implemented using an industrial humidifier. Droplet-shaped particles were obtained by rapidly heat-treating the droplets obtained from a humidifier. This can enable mass production through a continuous process, and any metals can be easily produced into particles. The materials used for the synthesis of metal particles should be water-soluble because the particles are made through an industrial humidifier. It was confirmed that the cobalt-based single-atomic catalysts developed through this process exhibit excellent stability as well as fuel cell performance and are 40% superior compared to conventional cobalt catalysts. Cobalt-based catalysts also cause side reactions in fuel cells; however, computational science has shown that catalysts manufactured via spray pyrolysis lead to forward reactions in fuel cells. Dr. Yoo clarified, “Through this research, a process that can enable considerable improvement in the mass production of cobalt-based single-atomic catalysts has been developed, and the operating mechanism of cobalt-based catalysts has been elucidated via close analyses and computational science. These results are expected to serve as indicators for future research on cobalt catalysts.” They also added, “We plan to expand the scope of future research to explore not only catalysts for fuel cells, but also environmental catalysts, water electrolysis, and battery fields.” Image (a) single-atomic catalyst synthesis process using humidifier method, (b) SEM image, (c) cobalt element mapping image, (d) high-resolution STEM image of cobalt single-atomic catalyst (Left) Catalyst performance reduction rate and metal dissolution rate after 100-h evaluation; (right) comparison with existing literature of cobalt- and iron-based catalysts

- Developed operando soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy based on radiation accelerator - Developed water oxidation electrode improved by more than 10 times The importance of ‘carbon neutrality’ is growing more than ever, as climate change caused by global warming threatens even the human right to live. The Republic of Korea has declared 'carbon neutrality by 2050' and is exerting efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In order to realize carbon neutrality, along with green hydrogen production that reduces the generation of carbon dioxide, CCU technology that utilizes already generated carbon dioxide is essential. In order for these two technologies to be effective in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the energy used must be reduced by increasing the activity of water oxidation electrode which induces an electrochemical reaction. For this purpose, attempts have been made to understand the electronic structure of the surface of the catalyst while the reaction continues. However, due to the difficulty in conducting an experiment in an ultra-high vacuum (UHV) condition, it was only indirectly estimated through computational calculations. At the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST, President: Seok-Jin Yoon), Dr. Hyung-Suk Oh and Dr. Woong Hee Lee from the Clean Energy Research Center and Dr. Keun Hwa Chae from the Advanced Analysis and Data Center developed an operando soft X-ray based absorption spectroscopy based on a radiation accelerator (10D XAS KIST beamline, ) for the first time in Korea. KIST announced that this research has developed a new strategy to fabricate electrode by observing and analyzing the surface electronic structure during the reaction of the water oxidation electrode applied to 'hydrogen production and conversion of carbon dioxide'. The research team found that general cobalt was reconstructed during the reaction, through measuring the electronic structure and spin states of the electrode surface by using accelerator-based soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy under the UHV condition. A method to improve the performance of the water oxidation electrode, through this discovery of the change in the electrode material. Thermodynamically, cobalt is prone to be in a tetravalent oxidation state under oxidation conditions, and its water oxidation activity is very low. It is necessary to maintain a trivalent oxidation state in order to maintain high water oxidation activity, that the process developed by the research team enables to obtain the 3.2 oxidation state and high activity. The developed electrode has a more than 1000 times larger electrochemical surface area compared to a commercial cobalt electrode, and move than 10 times improvement in hydrogen production performance when applied to an actual water electrolysis system. Dr. Oh said, “By developing an operando soft X-ray absorption spectrometry based on a radiation accelerator, we have taken one step further in understanding the properties of catalyst materials and improving their performance. This is an essential technology for the artificial photosynthesis, and is expected to be of great help in improving the performance of the water oxidation electrode, which is an important technology for green hydrogen production and electrochemical reconstruction.” Image The operando soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy based on radiation accelerator Schematic illustration of the operando soft X-ray absortion spectroscopy TEM and SEM images of the catalyst

- Developed an important process to secure source technology for advanced alloy material development - Developed an advanced metal hydride material in the metastable phase, suggested a growth mechanism, and published the results in Nature Similar to the widespread interest in “graphite” and “diamond,” there is growing interest in metastable phases, which have different physical properties than those of stable phases. However, processes to fabricate metastable-phase materials are highly limited. Novel findings have been published about the development of a new metastable-phase synthesis method, which can drastically improve the physical properties of various materials. A research team led by Dr. Chun, Dong Won at the Clean Energy Research Division, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST; President: Yoon, Seok Jin), announced that they successfully developed a new advanced metastable-phase palladium hydride (PdHx) material. Furthermore, they identified its growth mechanism and published it in the latest issue of Nature (IF 49.962), one of the world’s most authoritative journals in science and technology. A metastable-phase material has more thermodynamic energy than that in the stable phase but requires substantial energy to attain the stable phase, unlike most other materials, which exist in the stable phase with low thermodynamic energy. The research team directly synthesized a metal hydride by growing a material that can store hydrogen under a suitable hydrogen atmosphere, without dispersing hydrogen within a metal. Notably, they successfully developed a metastable-phase metal hydride with a new crystal structure. Further, they confirmed that the developed metastable-phase material had good thermal stability and twice the hydrogen storage capacity of a stable-phase material. To elucidate the theoretical basis and scientific evidence for these findings, the research team used atomic electron tomography, which reconstitutes 3D images from 2D electron microscope images for nanometer-sized crystals in a metal hydrate, for analysis. As a result, they demonstrated that the metastable phase was thermodynamically stable, identified the 3D structure of metastable-phase crystals, and suggested a new nanoparticle growth mechanism called “multi-stage crystallization.” This study holds significance as it reveals a new paradigm in metastable-phase-based material development when most research is focused on developing stable-phase materials. Dr. Chun emphasized that “These study findings provide an important process to obtain source technology in the development of advanced alloy materials containing lightweight atoms. An additional study is expected to reveal a new paradigm in the development of metastable-phase-based eco-friendly energy materials that can store hydrogen and lithium. Similar to the Czochralski (CZ) method, which is used to produce single-crystal silicon, a key material in today’s semiconductor industry, it will be a source technology with great potential that will contribute to advanced material development.” Image The percentage of metastable-phase palladium hydrides (HCP) generated depended on the palladium concentration in the palladium aqueous solution and the electron beam intensity and content of hydrogen within the metastable phase. The percentage of metastable-phase palladium hydrides (HCP) generated depended on the palladium concentration in the palladium aqueous solution and the electron beam intensity and content of hydrogen within the metastable phase Real-time analysis of the growth process of metastable palladium hydride nanoparticles within a liquid phase by transmission electron microscopy 3D atomic structure of metastable palladium hydride nanoparticles as identified by atomic electron tomography and a schematic of the metastable-phase nanoparticle growth process

- Prospects to leverage overcoming the limitations of 'zinc-air batteries', promising next-generation batteries - Developed bifunctional electrocatalyst with staggered p-n heterojunction applying solar cell/semiconductor interface characteristics Zinc-air batteries, which produce electricity through a chemical reaction between oxygen in the atmosphere and zinc, are considered to be next-generation candidates to meet the explosive demand for electric vehicles instead of lithium-ion batteries. They theoretically meet all required characteristics for next-generation secondary batteries, such as; high energy density, low risk of explosion, eco-friendliness that does not emit pollutants, and low cost of materials (zinc and air, which can be easily obtained from nature). The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST, President Seok-Jin Yoon) announced that its research team led by Dr. Joong Kee Lee (Energy Storage Research Center) developed a technology to improve the electrochemical performance of zinc-air batteries by utilizing solar energy, which is emerging as a new research and development area in the secondary battery field. The battery developed by the research team utilizes a photoactive bifunctional air-electrocatalyst with a semiconductor structure with alternating energy levels, which significantly improves the rates of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) that generate electricity. The photoactive bifunctional catalyst is a compound that accelerates chemical reactions by absorbing light energy and has a improved light absorption ability than conventional zinc-air battery catalysts. In a zinc-air battery that uses metal and air as the anode and cathode of the battery, OER and ORR must be alternately performed for electrical energy conversion of oxygen as the cathode active material. Therefore, the catalytic activity of the positive electrode current collector, made of carbon material, is an important factor in determining the energy density and overall cell efficiency of zinc-air batteries. Accordingly, the KIST research team focused on the p-n heterojunction, the basic structural unit of solar cells and semiconductors, as a measure to improve the slow catalytic activity of zinc-air batteries. The goal was to accelerate the oxygen production-reduction process by using the interface characteristics of semiconductors in which electron movement occurs. To this end, a cathode material with a heterojunction bandgap structure was synthesized, with a n-type semiconductor (graphitic carbon nitride, g-C3N4)andap-typesemiconductor(copper-doppedZIF-67(ZeoliticImidazolateFramework-67),CuZIF-67). In addition, an experiment was conducted under real-world conditions without light in order to confirm the commercial potential of the photoactive bifunctional catalyst with a p-n heterojunction structure with alternating energy levels. The prototype battery showed an energy density of 731.9 mAh gZn-1, similar to the best performance of the existing zinc-air battery. In the presence of sunlight, the energy density increased by about 7% up to 781.7 mAh gZn-1and excellent cycle performance (334 hours, 1,000 cycles), exhibiting the best performance among known catalysts. Dr. Lee said, “Utilization of solar energy is an important part not only in improving the electrochemical performance of secondary batteries but also in realizing a sustainable society. We hope that this technology will become a catalyst that stimulates the development of new convergence technologies in semiconductor physics and electrochemistry, in addition to solving the difficulties of metal-air batteries that are emerging as an alternative to lithium-ion batteries.” Image Preparation and basic characteristics of CZ. Schematic preparation and TEM images with elemental distributions in the red rectangle marked area for CZ. Durability study of photo-enhanced Zn-air batteries. Long-term galvanostatic charge-discharge profile with zoomed dark, dark-light shifting, and light regions of the CZ-based zincair battery at a current density of 2 mA cm？ 2 for up to 1000 cycles. LED screen powered by two CZ-based RZBs in series.

- Solid electrolytes with high ionic conductivity comparable to that of liquid electrolytes have been developed - Exhibits a 70% reduction in toxic hydrogen sulfide gas generation compared to other sulfide-based electrolytes when exposed to air Owing to the rapid growth of the electric vehicle and energy storage system (ESS) markets, the demand for lithium-ion batteries has been swiftly increasing. Conventional lithium-ion batteries use flammable liquid electrolytes and there have been continuous reports recently about such electrolytes causing accidents such as fires and explosions, raising concerns about their safety. Consequently, all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries using non-flammable solid electrolytes have been receiving significant attention as a next-generation secondary battery which can resolve these safety concerns. However, solid electrolytes have generally exhibited a low ionic conductivity in comparison to liquid electrolytes. The research team, led by Dr. Seungho Yu from the Energy Storage Research Center at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST, President: Seok Jin Yoon), recently developed a solid electrolyte with a high ionic conductivity, comparable to that of liquid electrolytes, by optimizing the material properties and synthesis process for sulfide solid electrolytes. Various candidate materials for solid electrolytes with a high ionic conductivity have been reported successively, and sulfide solid electrolytes exhibit a relatively high ionic conductivity, leading researchers to attempt to improve the material properties and synthesis process for sulfide electrolytes. However, sulfide solid electrolytes react with moisture when exposed to air, generating toxic hydrogen sulfide gas, which is a major concern. Therefore, further studies to resolve this issue were necessary. Dr. Yu’s team successfully developed a solid electrolyte with a high ionic conductivity of 16.1 mS/cm, by introducing antimony and germanium and inserting additional lithium into the argyrodite sulfide solid electrolytes. The ionic conductivity of these solid electrolytes is comparable to that of commercial liquid electrolytes (~10 mS/cm) and exceeds the maximum-level ionic conductivity of the previously developed argyrodite sulfide solid electrolytes (14.8 mS/cm). The research team then assembled a solid-state battery using the argyrodite sulfide solid electrolytes and obtained a similar initial discharge capacity to that of a liquid electrolyte Li-ion battery. These results are promising for the subsequent development of all-solid-state lithium batteries with a high energy capacity and long lifecycle through optimization of the fabrication process. While existing sulfide solid electrolytes react with moisture when exposed to air, leading to the evolution of toxic hydrogen sulfide gas, this study resulted in the successful reduction of hydrogen sulfide gas evolution by more than 70% through the introduction of antimony to minimize the reaction with moisture. Dr. Yu at KIST stated that “the solid electrolytes developed in this study exhibit a high ionic conductivity comparable to that of liquid electrolytes, and significantly improved air-stability, which is expected to accelerate the commercialization of all-solid-state lithium batteries.” This study was supported by the KIST Institutional Program and the Technology Development Program to Solve Climate Change of the National Research Foundation of Korea funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT of Korea (Minister: Hye-Sook Lim); by the Lithium-based Next-Generation Secondary Battery Performance Advancement and Manufacturing Technology Development Program, and the Automobile Industry Core Technology Development Program funded by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy of Korea (Minister: Sung Wook Moon). The research findings were published in the latest issue of the international journal ACS Energy Letters (IF: 23.101, top 3.302% in the JCR field). [1] Solid electrolytes with high ionic conductivity Schematic illustration of the synthesis process, Li-ion migration path, and Li-ion conductivity of Li6.5Sb0.5Ge0.5S5I. [2] Solid electrolytes with high air-stability Images of P and Sb/Ge based sulfides after exposure to air and their amount of H2S generation. [3]Corresponding Author(Dr. Yu, Seungho)

Technology developed to remove and overcome toxic hydrogen sulfide from the production process. Great help expected for domestic chemical companies to achieve carbon neutrality The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST, President Dr. Yoon, Seok-Jin) announced that a research team led by Dr. Jeong-Myeong Ha of the Clean Energy Research Center developed a process technology and catalyst for removing hydrogen sulfide, a toxic substance, during the process of ethylene production from methane in biogas. <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 15px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: " open="" sans",="" "helvetica="" neue",="" helvetica,="" arial,="" sans-serif;="" font-size:="" 14px;="" background-color:="" rgb(255,="" 255,="" 255);"="">Biogas, which is produced by microorganisms present in food waste, livestock manure, and sewage sludge, consists mainly of methane that can be used for low-cost energy including power generation, heating, and addition to town gas. Methane can acquire a large added value if converted into ethylene, a basic raw material for industries, through chemical reactions. Ethylene is a typical non-petroleum product that can reduce greenhouse gases. <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 15px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: " open="" sans",="" "helvetica="" neue",="" helvetica,="" arial,="" sans-serif;="" font-size:="" 14px;="" background-color:="" rgb(255,="" 255,="" 255);"="">The research team developed a process technology in 2021 that produces ethylene from biogas with the help of catalysts. In addition to methane, which is fairly useful in general, biogas contains a significant amount of toxic hydrogen sulfide, which is difficult to remove and interferes with the catalytic reaction in ethylene production. The developed technology facilitates ethylene production by oxidizing and removing hydrogen sulfide during the production process. <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 15px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: " open="" sans",="" "helvetica="" neue",="" helvetica,="" arial,="" sans-serif;="" font-size:="" 14px;="" background-color:="" rgb(255,="" 255,="" 255);"="">The researchers then developed a catalyst to improve reaction activity of ethylene production from biogas and methane. This catalyst is highly resistant to hydrogen sulfide, thus not requiring hydrogen sulfide removal from biogas, while the energy consumption can be reduced by lowering the operating temperature from 800oC to 700oC due to improved reaction activity. Through such reaction, it is possible to directly produce ethylene from biogas that contains hydrogen sulfide. Dr. Jeong-Myeong Ha stated, "Biogas is already produced in large quantities in Korea, and if biogas is used as a raw material for the chemical industry rather than just for heating, biogas producers who struggle to achieve carbon neutrality will have a larger market and be able to provide new raw materials without greenhouse gas emissions." He also mentioned, "This technology will draw attention from related companies as it can utilize not only biogas but also methane generated from various wastes such as plastics." <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: " open="" sans",="" "helvetica="" neue",="" helvetica,="" arial,="" sans-serif;="" font-size:="" 14px;"=""> Image <img src="/Data/editor/2022030814410843_0.png" title="2022030814410843_0.png" alt="" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: " open="" sans",="" "helvetica="" neue",="" helvetica,="" arial,="" sans-serif;="" font-size:="" 14px;"=""> <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: " open="" sans",="" "helvetica="" neue",="" helvetica,="" arial,="" sans-serif;="" font-size:="" 14px;"=""> <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: " open="" sans",="" "helvetica="" neue",="" helvetica,="" arial,="" sans-serif;="" font-size:="" 14px;"="">

Development of metal nanoparticle synthesis methods for eco-friendly mass production using sputtering application, a metal deposition technology. Applicable to high-performance hydrogen fuel cell catalysts A research team in Korea has synthesized metal nanoparticles that can drastically improve the performance of hydrogen fuel cell catalysts by using the semiconductor manufacturing technology. The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST, President Seok Jin Yoon) announced that the research team led by Dr. Sung Jong Yoo of the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Research Center has succeeded in synthesizing nanoparticles by a physical method rather than the existing chemical reactions by using the sputtering technology, which is a thin metal film deposition technology used in semiconductor manufacturing. <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 15px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: " open="" sans",="" "helvetica="" neue",="" helvetica,="" arial,="" sans-serif;="" font-size:="" 14px;="" background-color:="" rgb(255,="" 255,="" 255);"="">Metal nanoparticles have been studied in various fields over the past few decades. Recently, metal nanoparticles have been attracting attention as a critical catalyst for hydrogen fuel cells and water electrolysis systems to produce hydrogen. Metal nanoparticles are mainly prepared through complex chemical reactions. In addition, they are prepared using organic substances harmful to the environment and humans. Therefore, additional costs are inevitably incurred for their treatment, and the synthesis conditions are challenging. Therefore, a new nanoparticle synthesis method that can overcome the shortcomings of the existing chemical synthesis is required to establish the hydrogen energy regime. <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 15px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: " open="" sans",="" "helvetica="" neue",="" helvetica,="" arial,="" sans-serif;="" font-size:="" 14px;="" background-color:="" rgb(255,="" 255,="" 255);"=""> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 15px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: " open="" sans",="" "helvetica="" neue",="" helvetica,="" arial,="" sans-serif;="" font-size:="" 14px;="" background-color:="" rgb(255,="" 255,="" 255);"="">The sputtering process applied by the KIST research team is a technology that coats a thin metal film during the semiconductor manufacturing process. In this process, plasma is used to cut large metals into nanoparticles, which are then deposited on a substrate to form a thin film. The research team prepared nanoparticles using 'glucose', a special substrate that prevented the transformation of the metal nanoparticles to a thin film by using plasma during the process. The synthesis method used the principle of physical vapor deposition using plasma rather than chemical reactions. Therefore, metal nanoparticles could be synthesized using this simple method, overcoming the limitations of the existing chemical synthesis methods. <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 15px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: " open="" sans",="" "helvetica="" neue",="" helvetica,="" arial,="" sans-serif;="" font-size:="" 14px;="" background-color:="" rgb(255,="" 255,="" 255);"=""> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 15px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: " open="" sans",="" "helvetica="" neue",="" helvetica,="" arial,="" sans-serif;="" font-size:="" 14px;="" background-color:="" rgb(255,="" 255,="" 255);"="">The development of new catalysts has been hindered because the existing chemical synthesis methods limited the types of metals that could be used as nanoparticles. In addition, the synthesis conditions must be changed depending on the type of metal. However, it has become possible to synthesize nanoparticles of more diverse metals through the developed synthesis method. In addition, if this technology is simultaneously applied to two or more metals, alloy nanoparticles of various compositions can be synthesized. This would lead to the development of high-performance nanoparticle catalysts based on alloys of various compositions. <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 15px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: " open="" sans",="" "helvetica="" neue",="" helvetica,="" arial,="" sans-serif;="" font-size:="" 14px;="" background-color:="" rgb(255,="" 255,="" 255);"=""> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 15px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: " open="" sans",="" "helvetica="" neue",="" helvetica,="" arial,="" sans-serif;="" font-size:="" 14px;="" background-color:="" rgb(255,="" 255,="" 255);"="">The KIST research team synthesized a platinum-cobalt-vanadium alloy nanoparticle catalyst using this technology and applied for the oxygen reduction reaction in hydrogen fuel cell electrodes. As a result, the catalyst activity was 7 and 3 times higher than those of platinum and platinum-cobalt alloy catalysts that are commercially used as catalysts for hydrogen fuel cells, respectively. Furthermore, the researchers investigated the effect of the newly added vanadium on other metals in the nanoparticles. They found that vanadium improved the catalyst performance by optimizing the platinum？oxygen bonding energy through computer simulation. <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 15px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: " open="" sans",="" "helvetica="" neue",="" helvetica,="" arial,="" sans-serif;="" font-size:="" 14px;="" background-color:="" rgb(255,="" 255,="" 255);"=""> Dr. Sung Jong Yoo of KIST commented, “Through this research, we have developed a synthesis method based on a novel concept, which can be applied to research focused on metal nanoparticles toward the development of water electrolysis systems, solar cells, petrochemicals.”. He added, “We will strive to establish a complete hydrogen economy and develop carbon-neutral technology by applying alloy nanoparticles with new structures, which has been difficult to implement, to development eco-friendly energy technologies including hydrogen fuel cells.” <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: " open="" sans",="" "helvetica="" neue",="" helvetica,="" arial,="" sans-serif;="" font-size:="" 14px;"=""> Image <img src="/Data/editor/2022030814320838_0.jpg" title="2022030814320838_0.jpg" alt="" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: " open="" sans",="" "helvetica="" neue",="" helvetica,="" arial,="" sans-serif;="" font-size:="" 14px;"=""> <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: " open="" sans",="" "helvetica="" neue",="" helvetica,="" arial,="" sans-serif;="" font-size:="" 14px;"=""> ILLUSTRATION OF THE STEP-BY-STEP SYNTHESIS PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF TERNARY NANOPARTICLE CATALYSTS AND ELECTRON STRUCTURE REARRANGEMENT BY ELECTRON TRANSFER BETWEEN METAL ATOMS.

Flue gas level low-concentration carbon dioxide high-efficiency conversion made possible. Economically feasible electrochemical carbon dioxide conversion achieved A Korean research team has developed a technology that can produce carbon monoxide (CO), which has various applications in industry, by direct conversion of flue gas level low-concentration carbon dioxide (CO2). The Korean Institute of Science and Technology (KIST, President Seok-jin Yoon) announced that the research team of Dr. Da Hye Won and Dr. Ung Lee at Clean Energy Research Center and Professor Yun Jeong Hwang at Seoul National University (President Se-jung Oh) has developed a catalyst and a operating process that can produce CO with high efficiency using flue gas level low-concentration CO2. <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 15px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: " open="" sans",="" "helvetica="" neue",="" helvetica,="" arial,="" sans-serif;="" font-size:="" 14px;="" background-color:="" rgb(255,="" 255,="" 255);"="">CO2 conversion to valuable chemicals is one of the most promising strategies for mitigating the global climate crisis and developing new processes for chemical production.However, these technologies require supply of high-concentration CO2 gas. This is because CO2 is chemically very stable, which makes it difficult to convert CO2 to other chemicals, and a high-concentration CO2 supply is needed to increase the reaction rate and the efficiency. Actual flue gas from industrial plants typically contains 10% CO2 along with other emissions such as nitrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen oxide; however, until now, it has not been possible to achieve enough efficiency from this low concentration of CO2. <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 15px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: " open="" sans",="" "helvetica="" neue",="" helvetica,="" arial,="" sans-serif;="" font-size:="" 14px;="" background-color:="" rgb(255,="" 255,="" 255);"="">As a catalyst for electrochemical conversion of CO2 to CO, Ag is mainly used due to its high CO productivity. Commercial Ag nanopacticles produce 95% CO when high-concentration CO2 (99.99%) is used, while it produces 40% CO and 60% hydrogen when low-concentration (10%) CO2 is used. <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 15px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: " open="" sans",="" "helvetica="" neue",="" helvetica,="" arial,="" sans-serif;="" font-size:="" 14px;="" background-color:="" rgb(255,="" 255,="" 255);"="">The research team at KIST has developed a nickel single-atom catalyst that can inhibit hydrogen production and increase CO production efficiency. Transition metals such as iron and nickel could not be used as CO2 conversion catalysts due to their lower reactivities than those of noble metals; however, the recent finding that using transition metals in single-atom structure can achieve high CO productivity motivated the team to develop the new catalyst. The team also developed an optimized operating techniques for advanced CO2 conversion system that can directly convert gas-fed low-concentration CO2 by using both experimental and computational simulation methods. <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 15px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: " open="" sans",="" "helvetica="" neue",="" helvetica,="" arial,="" sans-serif;="" font-size:="" 14px;="" background-color:="" rgb(255,="" 255,="" 255);"="">The developed nickel single-atom catalyst can produce 93% CO with low-concentration (10%) CO2, and it is also economically feasible by using non-precious materials composed of nickel and carbon compared to noble Ag catalyst. Dr. Da Hye Won at KIST said, “The developed catalyst and the operating techniques can be widely applied in electro-chemical conversion systems utilizing low-concentration carbon dioxide. And we are also in the process of development of various technologies to use the flue gas directly without any additional conditioning process to achieve the economic feasibility of electro-chemical carbon dioxide conversion technology.” Image DEVELOPED EXTRINSIC OPERATING CONDITIONS CONTROLLING THE WATER TRANSFER FROM THE ANOLYTE TO THE CATALYST LAYER AND IMPROVED CO SELECTIVITY AT LOW CO2 CONCENTRATIONS IN THE MEA ELECTROLYZER. <span open="" sans",="" "helvetica="" neue",="" helvetica,="" arial,="" sans-serif;="" font-size:="" 14px;"="" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">