This past summer I worked at the Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH in Düsseldorf, Germany, studying the electrochemical reduction of CO2. With increasing levels of CO2 in the atmosphere and limited fossil fuel resources, the electrochemical reduction of CO2 is a promising technique to produce fuel and other industrial products from CO2 emissions, but more research is necessary to understand the selectivity of the products and to optimize efficiency. The purpose of this project was to understand the effects of temperature on electrochemical reduction of CO2 with a copper electrode at a current density of 10 mA/cm2 and develop a method that uses a headspace gas chromatographer (GC) to measure the formic acid produced. The esterification of formic acid to ethyl formate provides a means to quantifiably measure formic acid using a GC. The results of the temperature experiments agree with previous studies that used a current density of 5 mA/cm2. CO2 reduction competes with H2O reduction and increases as temperature decreases due to increased solubility of CO2. Hydrogen evolution dominates the reaction, possibly due to the very negative potential of the experiment. Trace amounts of methanol were the only liquid products consistently detected, but the lower total faradaic efficiencies at lower temperatures suggest that more liquid products are produced as temperature decreases but were oxidized at the counter electrode. Since previous studies focused on the reduction of CO2 with 5 mA/cm2 current density, these results provide insight into the reduction of CO2 at a greater current density. The German research experience gave me an exclusive opportunity to go beyond America’s borders and discover the universal nature of science. Although immersed in a foreign culture and over 4000 miles from home, the science was the same. This experience has taught me the importance of international collaboration in order to solve world problems, and made me realize that I would like to do research abroad in the future either during graduate school or during a post-doctorate as I pursue a career in research.

Exploring electrochemistry in Düsseldorf, Germany

249th National Meeting (2015)

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