Nick Daems

Development of electrocatalysts and membranes for the cogeneration of electricity and valuable chemicals

Past PhD, PhD

A lot of economically valuable chemicals are obtained in industry through oxidation and reduction reactions. While many of these processes are highly exothermic, liberating energy as heat, they generally do not reach high energy efficiencies because most of this liberated energy cannot be recovered efficiently. Fuel cells offer the possibility to produce these chemicals through electrochemical reactions while converting the released energy into electricity, thus offering a clear advantage over the conventional production process.

Electron tomography combined with state-of-the-art electrochemistry to gain better insight into the role of the different components of the active layer in a CO2 electrolyzer

past, Projects

Renewable energy sources can offer a solution for excessive emissions of greenhouse gases and to the expected decrease in availability of fossil fuels in the near future. Both problems would find a common solution if we were able to develop energy-efficient processes to convert (low concentrated) CO2 streams into fuels and useful chemical products, ensuring a positive economic and environmental balance.

Fundamental insight into the role of the support and electrocatalyst in CO2 electrolyzers: are carbon-based materials the solution or the problem?

past, Projects

Renewable energy sources can offer a solution for excessive emissions of greenhouse gases and to the expected decrease in availability of fossil fuels in the near future. Both problems would find a common solution if we were able to develop energy-efficient processes to convert (low concentrated) CO2 streams into fuels and useful chemical products, ensuring a positive economic
and environmental balance.