Redox and Nonredox CO2 Utilization: Dry Reforming of Methane and Catalytic Cyclic Carbonate Formation

S. Subramanian, Y. Song, D. Kim, C. T. Yavuz*
ACS Energy Lett., 5, 5, 1689–1700 (2020). Invited Review
DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.0c00406

CO2 emissions are too large to tackle with a single process, but a combination of avoidance with chemical utilization may be able to slow global warming. In this Focus Review, we identify two large-scale CO2 conversion processes based on their viability and opposite energy requirements. In the high-energy, stationary path, CO2 reforming of methane could provide gigatons of CO2 utilization through synthesis gas. The main problem is the lack of a durable, effective, low-cost dry reforming catalyst. The exothermic cyclic carbonate formation from CO2 and organic epoxides offers a low-energy, mobile, nonredox route. The catalysts, however, must be metal-free and robust, have a high surface area, and be low-cost while being easily scalable. These two processes could potentially address at least a quarter of all current CO2 emissions.

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Catalytic non-redox carbon dioxide fixation in cyclic carbonates

S. Subramanian§, J. Oppenheim§, D. Kim§, T. S. Nguyen, W. M. H. Silo, B. Kim, W. A. Goddard III*, C. T. Yavuz* 
Chem, 5, 3232-3242 (2019). §: Equal contribution.
DOI: 10.1016/j.chempr.2019.10.009

If cycloaddition of CO2 to epoxides is to become a viable non-redox CO2 fixation path, it is crucial that researchers develop an active, stable, selective, metal-free, reusable, and cost-effective catalyst. To this end, we report here a new catalyst that is based on imidazolinium functionality and is synthesized from an unprecedented, one-pot reaction of the widely available monomers terephthalaldehyde and ammonium chloride. We show that this covalent organic polymer (COP)-222 exhibits quantitative conversion and selectivity for a range of substrates under ambient conditions and without the need for co-catalysts, metals, solvent, or pressure. COP-222 is recyclable and has been demonstrated to retain complete retention of activity for over 15 cycles. Moreover, it is scalable to at least a kilogram scale. We determined the reaction mechanism by using quantum mechanics (density functional theory), showing that it involves nucleophilic-attack-driven epoxide ring opening (ND-ERO). This contrasts with the commonly assumed mechanism involving the concerted addition of chemisorbed CO2.

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Fluorinated covalent organic polymers for high performance sulfur cathodes in lithium–sulfur batteries

H. Shin§, D. Kim§, H. J. Kim§, J. Kim, K. Char*, C. T. Yavuz*, J. W. Choi*

Chem. Mater., accepted (2019). §: Equal contribution
DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.9b01986

Lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries by far offer higher theoretical energy density than that of the commercial lithium-ion battery counterparts, but suffer predominantly from an irreversible shuttling process involving lithium polysulfides. Here, we report a fluorinated covalent organic polymer (F-COP) as a template for high performance sulfur cathodes in Li–S batteries. The fluorination allowed facile covalent attachment of sulfur to a porous polymer framework via nucleophilic aromatic substitution reaction (SNAr), leading to high sulfur content, e.g., over 70 wt %. The F-COP framework was microporous with 72% of pores within three well-defined pore sizes, viz. 0.58, 1.19, and 1.68 nm, which effectively suppressed polysulfide dissolution via steric and electrostatic hindrance. As a result of the structural features of the F-COP, the resulting sulfur electrode exhibited high electrochemical performance of 1287.7 mAh g–1 at 0.05C, 96.4% initial Columbic efficiency, 70.3% capacity retention after 1000 cycles at 0.5C, and robust operation for a sulfur loading of up to 4.1 mgsulfur cm–2. Our findings suggest the F-COP family with the adaptability of SNAr chemistry and well-defined microporous structures as useful frameworks for highly sustainable sulfur electrodes in Li–S batteries.

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