Efficient polymeric electrocatalysts for a circular economy

Research Project, 2024 – 2027

This proposal aims to push forward new ideas for developing a circular economy for electrocatalysts for chemical and energy conversion technologies. Efficient electrocatalysts with high performance (activity, selectivity, and stability) for reductive electrochemical reactions will be developed by designing redox-active polymers with active sites that create electrocatalytic activity. The recyclability of these electrocatalysts is realized by attaching functional groups to the polymeric electrocatalyst to fabricate electrodes from solution. These functional groups further enhance the electronic and ionic charge transport properties and enable the operation of binder- and additive-free electrodes. The combination of these two features enables the recycling of polymeric electrocatalysts using solvent extraction methods after the end of life (EOL) of the devices. Furthermore, these electrocatalysts solely consist of earth-abundant elements which are further expected to help to overcome bottlenecks for developing the technology at scale since rare and expensive elements (e.g., Platinum) are avoided. The project will be carried out by one Ph.D. student for four years in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Chalmers University of Technology. The outcome of this work is an efficient, recyclable electrocatalyst with high operational stability to will push forward new approaches for developing a circular economy for clean technologies.