Overview of research

Electrocatalytic reduction of carbon oxides

My scientific research started when I became a fourth grade student in 1993. The work was devoted to reduction of carbon oxides into valuable chemical products using electrocatalysis. It was discovered that CO₂ reduction is best to be carried out in two stages:

CO₂ + 2H⁺ + 2e^- ⇒ CO + H₂O

CO + nH⁺ + ne^- ⇒ C₂H₅OH + C₃H₇OH + C₄H₉OH

The two stages are best because each of them has a very good very selective electrocatalyst. The process can be carried out fast thanks to the gas diffusion electrodes that provide quick mass transport of gaseous CO and CO₂. The reactions actually proceed at the interface of three phases - solid electrocatalyst, liquid electrolite and gaseous carbon oxides.

Gas Phase Heterogeneous Photocatalytic Oxidation

Gas phase heterogeneous photocatalytic oxidation (GPHPO) using wide band gap semiconductor titanium dioxide TiO₂ and Pt modified TiO₂(Pt/TiO₂) was investigated in the processes of mineralization and partial oxidation of series of organic compounds. Acetone, ethanol and diethyl ether are oxidized according to the following schemes.

C₃H₆O + 4.5O₂ + hv ⇒ 3CO₂ + 3H₂O,

C₂H₅OH + 3.5O₂ + hv ⇒ 2CO₂ + 3H₂O,

C₂H₅OC₂H₅ + 6.5O₂ + hv ⇒ 4CO₂ + 5H₂O.