TECHNOLOGY/BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Dilute alloy catalyst for electrochemical CO2 reduction with increased energy efficiency and selectivity

Opportunity : Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), operated by the Lawrence Livermore National Security (LLNS), LLC under contract no. DE-AC52-07NA27344 (Contract 44) with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is offering the opportunity to license its catalyst technology that can more efficiently convert carbon dioxide into fuels than current pure transition metal or traditional transition metal alloy catalysts. Background : Carbon dioxide (CO2) is an industrial waste product and the most important contributor to climate change. There is much interest in capturing and converting it into useful products. One class of compounds under consideration is methane and other fuels that can be readily integrated into fuel for vehicles and power plants. An obstacle to the deployment of a one-step electrochemical based methane electrosynthesis is the development of low-cost electrocatalysts that are able to facilitate energy-efficient production of methane, ethylene or other hydrocarbons from CO2 with high selectivity and long-term stability. There are similarities between the binding chemistry of methane electrosynthesis reaction intermediates, which limits the ability to manipulate the reactivity and selectivity using pure transition metals or traditional transition metal alloys. In order to develop new, promising catalysts that have improved reactivity and selectivity, LLNL researchers established a theory-based rational design platform for dilute alloy transition metal electrocatalysts. Description : Using their computational design optimization, LLNL researchers have developed copper-based dilute alloy catalysts (contains <10 at.% of the minority metal alloy component) and demonstrated these novel catalysts have improved energy efficiency and selectivity of the methane conversion reaction. By alloying copper with a small amount of the electropositive minority metal element, the activation barrier for coupling two CO molecules (the rate limiting step for carbon dioxide reduction) is lowered with the catalyst. This electroreduction process to C2 products does not require direct chemical bonding to the dilute alloy minority component metal atom. The presence of the dilute alloy minority metal component not only helps improve activity, but also stabilizes the copper catalyst. Advantages/Benefits : Cost-effective, copper-based catalysts instead of Platinum group metals. Rational computational design method for catalysts – could potentially be applied to a broad range of selective reactions (e.g., oxidations, hydrogenations) Potential Applications : CO2 conversion to useful fuel feedstocks. More efficient catalyst design for automobiles. Environmental contaminant degradation Development Status: Current stage of technology development: TRL 2 LLNL has filed for patent protection on this invention. U.S. Patent Application No. 2021/0147989 Dilute Alloy Catalysts For Electrochemical CO2 Reduction published 5/20/2021 LLNL is seeking industry partners with a demonstrated ability to bring such inventions to the market. Moving critical technology beyond the Laboratory to the commercial world helps our licensees gain a competitive edge in the marketplace. All licensing activities are conducted under policies relating to the strict nondisclosure of company proprietary information. Please visit the IPO website at https://ipo.llnl.gov/resources for more information on working with LLNL and the industrial partnering and technology transfer process. Note: THIS IS NOT A PROCUREMENT . Companies interested in commercializing LLNL's dilute alloy catalyst for electrochemical CO2 reduction with increased energy efficiency and selectivity should provide an electronic OR written statement of interest, which includes the following: Company Name and address. The name, address, and telephone number of a point of contact. A description of corporate expertise and/or facilities relevant to commercializing this technology. Please provide a complete electronic OR written statement to ensure consideration of your interest in LLNL's dilute alloy catalyst for electrochemical CO2 reduction with increased energy efficiency and selectivity. The subject heading in an email response should include the Notice ID and/or the title of LLNL’s Technology/Business Opportunity and directed to the Primary and Secondary Point of Contacts listed below. Written responses should be directed to: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Innovation and Partnerships Office P.O. Box 808, L-779 Livermore, CA 94551-0808 Attention: IL-13490