In worldwide efforts to tackle climate change, switching to renewables is inevitable. One promising method to store renewables is electrocatalysis, which converts inconsistent energy supplies into combustible chemicals (i.e. hydrogen or methane). Despite advancements, delivery and collection of gaseous reactants / products remains poorly controlled. Here, superaerophilicity will be employed. Superaerophilic surfaces maintain a thin continuous layer of gas under immersion (i.e. plastron: 1 µm, 50 times thinner than a human hair). This creates a microscopic channel through which reactants (i.e. carbon dioxide) are precisely delivered. At Aalto University (Applied Physics), plastron-enhanced electrodes will be created using nanotechnology. Nanomaterials enable precise reactant-delivery and product-collection while conferring ultra-high surface areas of functionality, leading to improved conversion efficiency. Success in these objectives will promote our independence from fossil fuels.

2022

2025