LSU ChE PhD Student's Paper Published on CO2 Reduction
October 15, 2024
BATON ROUGE, LA – Monsuru Dauda, a third-year Ph.D. student in the LSU Cain Department of Chemical Engineering, has had a very busy 2024. He’s co-authored five research conference papers and been lead author on another two, the most recent being published in the Journal of The Electrochemical Society. This latest publication brings his total for the year to seven.
The paper, titled “Activity and Selectivity in the Electrochemical Reduction of CO2 at CuSnx Electrocatalysts Using a Zero-Gap Membrane Electrode Assembly,” details the research done by Dauda and his co-authors on developing a method to utilize captured CO2 from fermentation or petrochemical processes, along with water, to produce ethanol.
“Ethanol is a crucial feedstock for numerous industries, including biofuels, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food preservation, cleaning products, paints, inks, plastics, textiles, and chemical synthesis, making it indispensable in modern industrial processes,” Dauda said. “This research helps create a cleaner environment by reducing harmful CO2 emissions, which contribute to climate change. By converting CO2 into ethanol, we’re promoting sustainable and eco-friendly products while supporting cleaner energy alternatives. This reduces reliance on fossil fuels and contributes to a healthier and more sustainable future for everyone.”
In the study, the research team used copper (Cu), tin (Sn), and bimetallic CuSnx nanoparticles that were synthesized and evaluated as electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction using zero-gap membrane electrode assemblies.
“This dual metal system allows for a tunable approach to achieve desirable CO2 reduction products, especially ethanol and ethylene, under controlled conditions, particularly in membrane electrode assembly configurations,” Dauda added.
Dauda’s co-authors on the paper were LSU Chemical Engineering graduate students John Hendershot, Mustapha Bello, Junghyun Park, and Alvaro Loaiza Orduz; LSU Chemical Engineering faculty Anthony Engler and Craig Plaisance; researchers Orhan Kizilkaya and Phillip Sprunger from the LSU J. Bennett Johnston Sr. Center for Advanced Microstructures and Devices (CAMD); and Koffi Yao, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Delaware.
Dauda’s research is conducted under the guidance of LSU Associate Vice President of Natural and Built Environments and Chemical Engineering Professor John Flake.
Like us on Facebook (@lsuengineering) or follow us on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram (@lsuengineering).
###
Contact: Joshua Duplechain
Director of Communications
225-578-5706
josh@lsu.edu
Latest College of Engineering News
- LSU Student Team’s FarmSmart App Helps Farmers Manage Crops, Weeds With AITeam to compete in the SEC Student Pitch Competition on October 17, hosted by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, this week.Farmsmart logoLSU students and alumni have created a new, AI-powered tool called FarmSmart that puts decades of LSU AgCenter research right under the green thumbs of Louisiana’s farmers. With a few clicks on their smartphones or computers, farmers and gardeners can quickly access actionable intelligence on how to best manage their crops and get rid of weeds.
- LSU CS Professor Designs Reliable App for Public Professor and Course EvaluationsOctober 8, 2024BATON ROUGE, LA - With so much information on the Internet these days, it's hard to know what is accurate. Pretty much anyone can post a review on a product, service, or even a college professor, but who's to say this is reliable information? Wanting to improve the process of rating a college professor online, LSU Computer Science Professor Nash Mahmoud created an app called Professor Index, which is set to transform how college students evaluate and select professors and courses.
- LSU Chemical Engineering Team Researching New Production Method for Clean HydrogenOctober 3, 2024BATON ROUGE, LA - A team of LSU Chemical Engineering researchers is exploring a cheaper, alternative means of producing "clean hydrogen," and its doing it, in part, through the use of formate salts widely used in de-icing.
- ECE's Vaidyanathan Named IEEE Life MemberOctober 1, 2024BATON ROUGE, LA - LSU Electrical and Computer Engineering Professor Ramachandran Vaidyanathan was recently awarded Life Member designation by the Institute of Electrical and Electronical Engineers (IEEE). It's his second honor from the organization in three years, as he was previously named in the first class of IEEE's Computer Society Distinguished Contributors.
- CEE's Mohammad Receives Lifetime Honor From ASCEOctober 1, 2024BATON ROUGE, LA - LSU Civil and Environmental Engineering Professor Louay Mohammad has been awarded the prestigious 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Louisiana Section--Baton Rouge branch. The honor recognizes his contributions to the field of civil engineering, significant service to ASCE, and unwavering commitment to integrity and technical excellence.
- LSU Collaborating With Halliburton, ExxonMobil on New CO2 Research WellSeptember 30, 2024BATON ROUGE, LA - In early 2025, the LSU College of Engineering, in collaboration with Halliburton and ExxonMobil, will begin drilling a third research well at its PERTT--Petroleum Engineering Research, Training, and Testing--Lab on LSU's campus.