Catalyst development for Direct Electroconversion (CO₂RR)

With the increasing global production of renewable energy and the emerging desire to electrify and reduce carbon emissions in the industry, electrocatalysis has never been more relevant. In the Daasbjerg group, a variety of catalytic materials are explored to develop promising catalytic systems for the realization of the direct electroconversion of CO₂ into valuable feedstocks and fuels on an industrial scale. In our labs, we are involved in every process from the synthesis of the materials to the characterization and finally the testing of the catalyst in our custom-made electrolyzers. In the search for new catalytic materials, computational strategies are explored to find promising candidates. We are also passionate about elucidating mechanistic pathways in our systems with fundamental studies that provide a deeper understanding of the system.

Thermocatalytic conversion of CO₂

Thermocatalytic conversion of CO₂ is among the most efficient strategies for producing valuable products. However, most thermal catalysts predominantly yield single-carbon compounds, which have lower energy volume and market value compared to multi-carbon products. This work focuses on tailoring interfacial properties at catalytic sites to direct selectivity toward higher-carbon products. To achieve this, nanoparticles and porous materials are synthesized from scratch, thoroughly characterized, and tested in thermal CO₂ hydrogenation reactions. The approach employs porous coatings with precisely controlled structure, thickness, and atomic composition to examine their impact on carbon–carbon coupling—the critical limiting step in forming multi-carbon products