Efficient Carbon Capture and Conversion from Dilute Sources via Electro-/Thermo-chemical Methods
Event details
| Date | 12.03.2026 |
| Hour | 11:00 › 12:00 |
| Speaker | Prof. Meng Lin |
| Location | |
| Category | Conferences - Seminars |
| Event Language | English |
Abstract:
Electrochemical and thermochemical processes offer promising pathways for carbon capture and utilization in pursuit of net-zero emissions. Hybrid strategies are developed to address the challenges of dilute CO2 sources, including ambient air and seawater, and to enable subsequent catalytic conversion into fuels and chemicals. A bipolar membrane electrodialysis (BPMED) platform is employed to selectively extract CO2 from seawater through acidity-alkalinity gradients, achieving high-purity CO2 release and enabling direct electroreduction to carbon monoxide and formate with high Faradaic efficiency [1]. In parallel, a hybrid electro-thermochemical reactor is designed for direct air capture and utilization, in which localized resistive heating of structured catalysts provides high-temperature activation for CO2 hydrogenation, while electrical bias enhances interfacial charge transfer. This coupling of thermal and electrical inputs reduces energy intensity and enables efficient methane production under ambient feed conditions [2]. Furthermore, integrated thermal management and salt precipitation control strategies in CO2 electrolysis are shown to sustain system stability over extended operation [3]. Collectively, these advances demonstrate that combining electrochemical and thermochemical approaches can overcome key bottlenecks in dilute CO2 capture and utilization, offering a scalable and energy-efficient route toward sustainable negative-emission technologies.
Related Publication by the Authors:
Meng Lin is a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering at the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, where he heads the Solar Energy Conversion and Utilization Laboratory (SECUL). He earned his PhD (2018) in Mechanical Engineering from EPFL, Switzerland. From 2018 to 2019, he was a postdoctoral researcher at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), affiliated with the Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis (JCAP). Since joining SUSTech in 2019, his research has focused on the engineering of solar-driven materials, devices, and reactors, spanning high-temperature thermochemical conversion and solid-oxide electrolysis to low-temperature CO2 capture and conversion, and aiming to enable efficient, durable, and scalable pathways to carbon-neutral fuels and chemicals.
Electrochemical and thermochemical processes offer promising pathways for carbon capture and utilization in pursuit of net-zero emissions. Hybrid strategies are developed to address the challenges of dilute CO2 sources, including ambient air and seawater, and to enable subsequent catalytic conversion into fuels and chemicals. A bipolar membrane electrodialysis (BPMED) platform is employed to selectively extract CO2 from seawater through acidity-alkalinity gradients, achieving high-purity CO2 release and enabling direct electroreduction to carbon monoxide and formate with high Faradaic efficiency [1]. In parallel, a hybrid electro-thermochemical reactor is designed for direct air capture and utilization, in which localized resistive heating of structured catalysts provides high-temperature activation for CO2 hydrogenation, while electrical bias enhances interfacial charge transfer. This coupling of thermal and electrical inputs reduces energy intensity and enables efficient methane production under ambient feed conditions [2]. Furthermore, integrated thermal management and salt precipitation control strategies in CO2 electrolysis are shown to sustain system stability over extended operation [3]. Collectively, these advances demonstrate that combining electrochemical and thermochemical approaches can overcome key bottlenecks in dilute CO2 capture and utilization, offering a scalable and energy-efficient route toward sustainable negative-emission technologies.
Related Publication by the Authors:
- Digdaya, I. A.; Sullivan, I.; Lin, M.; Han, L.; Cheng, W.-H.; Atwater, H. A.; Xiang, C. A Direct Coupled Electrochemical System for Capture and Conversion of CO2 from Oceanwater. Nat Commun 2020, 11 (1), 1–10.
- Huang, Y.; Xu, D.; Deng, S.; Lin, M. A Hybrid Electro-Thermochemical Device for Methane Production from the Air. Nat Commun 2024, 15 (1), 8935.
- Li, J.; Zhang, H.; Luo, C.; Cheng, D.; Xu, W.; Lin, M. Non-Isothermal CO2 Electrolysis Enables Simultaneous Enhanced Electrochemical and Anti-Precipitation Performance. Nat Commun 2025, 16 (1), 4181.
Meng Lin is a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering at the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, where he heads the Solar Energy Conversion and Utilization Laboratory (SECUL). He earned his PhD (2018) in Mechanical Engineering from EPFL, Switzerland. From 2018 to 2019, he was a postdoctoral researcher at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), affiliated with the Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis (JCAP). Since joining SUSTech in 2019, his research has focused on the engineering of solar-driven materials, devices, and reactors, spanning high-temperature thermochemical conversion and solid-oxide electrolysis to low-temperature CO2 capture and conversion, and aiming to enable efficient, durable, and scalable pathways to carbon-neutral fuels and chemicals.
Practical information
- Expert
- Free
Organizer
- LRESE Prof. Sophia Haussener
Contact
- Sophia Haussener