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AssigneeUT-Battelle, LLC
InventorsAdam J. Rondinone, Dale K. Hensley, Seonah Jin
Estimating the term…
An electrocatalyst comprising (i) carbon nanospikes and (ii) copper alloy nanoparticles containing copper and at least one noble metal and residing on and/or between the carbon nanospikes. Also disclosed herein is a method of producing the electrocatalyst. Also described herein is a method for converting carbon dioxide into hydrocarbons by use of the above-described electrocatalyst. The method for producing hydrocarbons more specifically involves contacting the electrocatalyst with an aqueous solution of a bicarbonate salt while the aqueous solution is in contact with a source of carbon dioxide, and electrically powering the electrocatalyst as a cathode at negative potential condition while the cathode is in electrical communication with a counter electrode electrically powered as an anode, to convert the carbon dioxide into hydrocarbons containing at least four carbon atoms and composed of only carbon and hydrogen.
A method of converting carbon dioxide to hydrocarbons, the method comprising contacting an electrocatalyst with an aqueous solution of a bicarbonate salt while said aqueous solution is in contact with a source of carbon dioxide, which replenishes said bicarbonate salt as said bicarbonate salt decomposes to carbon dioxide and a hydroxide salt at a surface of said electrocatalyst, and said electrocatalyst is electrically powered as a cathode operated at negative potential condition and is in electrical communication with a counter electrode electrically powered as an anode, to convert said carbon dioxide into said hydrocarbons, wherein said hydrocarbons contain at least four carbon atoms and are composed of only carbon and hydrogen;
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.