Elec­tro­ca­ta­ly­sis

We specialize in designing and preparing highly doped carbonaceous materials. Their large heteroatom content allows usinge these materials as support for the stabilization of large amoungs of metallic sites without the formation of nanoparticles though a simple impregnation plus calcination approach. This enables the preparation of materials with metallic sites coordinated not only with nitrogen but also with oxygen atoms, which changes the selectivity of the materials in different reactions.

Check out our results for the revalorization of CO2 using the materials as electrocatalysts. This process aims to convert CO2, a major greenhouse gas, into valuable chemicals. These chemicals are typically derived from fossil fuels, so this method provides a sustainable alternative and helps mitigate climate change.

  1. J. Kossmann, M. L. O. Sánchez-Manjavacas, H. Zschiesche, N. V. Tarakina, M. Antonietti, J. Albero* and N. López-Salas*, “CuII/CuI decorated N-doped carbonaceous electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction” ”, Journal of  Materials Chemistry A (10 (11) (2021) 6107-6114.
  2. E. Lepre, J. Heske, M. Nowakowski, E. Scoppola, I. Zizak, T. Heil, T. D. Kühne, M. Antonietti, N. López-Salas*, Josep Albero*, “Ni-Based Electrocatalysts for Unconventional CO2 Reduction Reaction to Formic Acid”, Nano Enery (2022), 97, 107191 
  3. J. Kossmann, M. L. O. Sánchez-Manjavacas, J. Brandt, T. Heil, N. López-Salas* and J. Albero* “Mn(II) sub-nanometric sites stabilization in noble, N-doped carbonaceous materials for electrochemical CO2 reduction”, Chemical Communications (2022), 58, 4841 - 4844.

The electrocatalytic reduction of nitrates to ammonia using metal oxide-decorated carbonaceous materials is also a very hot topic. High nitrate levels inside groundwater and water bodies are harmful for aquatic organisms and also personal health. By reduction to ammonia, a highly valuable chemical is obtained as it is used for the production of many nitrogen-containing compounds. By producing ammonia electrocatalytically, a more sustainable alternative to the Haber-Bosch process can be explored. Check out our recent work in collaboration with the Max-Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces:

  1. X. Zheng, Z. Tian, R. Bouchal, M. Antonietti, N. López-Salas, M. Odziomek* “Tin (II) Chloride Salt Melts as Non-Innocent Solvents for the Synthesis of Low-Temperature Nanoporous Oxo-Carbons for Nitrate Electrochemical Hydrogenation” Adv. Mater. (2023), 2311575.