Transforming CO2 into advanced 3D printed carbon nanocomposites

Bradie S. Crandall, Matthew Naughton, Soyeon Park, Jia Yu, Chunyan Zhang, Shima Mahtabian, Kaiying Wang, Xinhua Liang, Kelvin Fu () and Feng Jiao ()
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Bradie S. Crandall: Washington University
Matthew Naughton: University of Delaware
Soyeon Park: University of Delaware
Jia Yu: Washington University
Chunyan Zhang: University of Delaware
Shima Mahtabian: University of Delaware
Kaiying Wang: Washington University
Xinhua Liang: Washington University
Kelvin Fu: University of Delaware
Feng Jiao: Washington University

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract The conversion of CO2 emissions into valuable 3D printed carbon-based materials offers a transformative strategy for climate mitigation and resource utilization. Here, we 3D print carbon nanocomposites from CO2 using an integrated system that electrochemically converts CO2 into CO, followed by a thermocatalytic process that synthesizes carbon nanotubes (CNTs) which are then 3D printed into high-density carbon nanocomposites. A 200 cm2 electrolyzer stack is integrated with a thermochemical reactor for more than 45 h of operation, cumulatively synthesizing 37 grams of CNTs from CO2. A techno-economic analysis indicates a 90% cost reduction in CNT production on an industrial scale compared to current benchmarks, underscoring the commercial viability of the system. A 3D printing process is developed that achieves a high nanocomposite CNT concentration (38 wt%) while enhancing composite structural attributes via CNT alignment. With the rapidly rising demand for carbon nanocomposites, this CO2-to-nanocomposite process can make a substantial impact on global carbon emission reduction efforts.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-54957-w

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