2026-09-14 イェール大学
＜関連情報＞
- https://engineering.yale.edu/news-and-events/news/lectricity-and-plasma-turn-co2-fuel-and-other-useful-things
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41929-026-01609-5
プラズマ活性化を用いたCO₂およびCOのC3+ 炭化水素および酸素化合物への電気触媒還元反応経路の解明 Unlocking reaction pathways for CO2 and CO electrocatalytic reduction to C3+ hydrocarbons and oxygenates using plasma activation
Ji-Yong Kim (김지용), Omar Biondo, Yuanzuo Gao, Kelby Anderson, Julia Simon, Yingzheng Fan, Hailiang Wang, Annemie Bogaerts & Lea R. Winter
Nature Catalysis Published:07 September 2026
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41929-026-01609-5
Abstract
Despite recent progress in electrocatalytic CO2 and CO conversion, improvement in the generation of high-value multi-carbon products is required for practical sustainability goals. Here we report a plasma–electrocatalysis platform that delivers non-thermal plasma-activated CO2 or CO to a Cu gas diffusion electrode, enabling electrocatalytic conversion of plasma species while avoiding quenching in the electrolyte. Co-feeding CO2 and CO enhances C3+ and alcohol productivities by 3.3 and 1.5 times, respectively, compared with electrocatalysis alone. In addition, plasma activation unlocks the formation of chemicals that are not generated through electrocatalytic-only pathways, including methanol, acetylene, ethane, propane, butane and butanol. Plasma simulation, experimental evidence and in situ analysis suggest that vibrationally excited molecules and carbon suboxide can lead to the emergence and enrichment of certain reaction intermediates on Cu, accounting for the effects of the plasma activation on the electrocatalysis. The synergistic plasma–electrocatalytic conversion provides pathways towards the electrosynthesis of high-value chemicals and fuels at elevated production rates.
