This activity focuses on the capture, separation and valorization of CO2 from combustion gases and other effluents, such as biogas, with the aim of facilitating the transition to a zero-carbon future. CO2 capture and separation are achieved using newly developed polymer and hybrid membranes, or column capture systems with functional ionic liquids. Our research group is dedicated to the synthesis of new polymers to be combined with inorganic fillers or ionic liquids for the preparation of mixed membranes specific for the separation of CO2. Furthermore, we develop ionic liquids both for use in membranes and for their use in separate capture systems. The valorization of CO2 is achieved through electrochemical reduction processes (CO2RR). Our group focuses primarily on the synthesis of new electro-catalysts to improve both the selectivity and efficiency of CO2RR. This involves designing catalysts with surface structures, compositions and active sites optimized for CO2 reduction. Following synthesis, we conduct an in-depth characterization of these materials to understand their structural, compositional, and electrochemical properties, using both ex situ and operando measurements. We also employ ab initio simulations to complement experimental investigations. Such simulations are crucial to understand the mechanisms of CO2 reduction on different catalytic surfaces and facilitate the design of nanomaterials with improved electro-catalytic properties. Finally, our group explores energy recovery methods that involve the absorption of CO2 into ionic liquids (ILs).
