CO2 capture and conversion: A homemade experimental approach

During the SARS-2-Covid pandemic our institution sought to continue the teaching and learning of experimental laboratories by designing, assembling, and delivering a microscale chemistry kit to the students´ homes. Thanks to this approach students were able to perform ~25 experiments during each one...

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Main Authors: Adalberto Acuña-Girault, Ximena Gómez del Campo-Rábago, Marco Antonio Contreras-Ruiz, Jorge G. Ibanez
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: OmniaScience 2022-07-01
Series:Journal of Technology and Science Education
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.jotse.org/index.php/jotse/article/view/1610
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author Adalberto Acuña-Girault
Ximena Gómez del Campo-Rábago
Marco Antonio Contreras-Ruiz
Jorge G. Ibanez
author_facet Adalberto Acuña-Girault
Ximena Gómez del Campo-Rábago
Marco Antonio Contreras-Ruiz
Jorge G. Ibanez
author_sort Adalberto Acuña-Girault
collection DOAJ
description During the SARS-2-Covid pandemic our institution sought to continue the teaching and learning of experimental laboratories by designing, assembling, and delivering a microscale chemistry kit to the students´ homes. Thanks to this approach students were able to perform ~25 experiments during each one of the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 semesters in an elective Electrochemistry and Corrosion course offered to Chemical Engineering undergraduates. In addition to performing traditional experiments, students were encouraged to design some of their own and have the entire group reproduce them. One of such student-designed experiments involved the capture of CO2 and its reduction with a readily available active metal (i.e., Al foil) in aqueous media to generate potentially useful products. The highly negative standard potential of Al is exploited for the reduction of lab-generated CO2, and the products are chemically tested. Al as a foil has been reported to be electrochemically inactive for carbon dioxide reduction. However, encouraged by an earlier report of the reduction of CO2 to CO, the Al surface is activated in the present experiment by removal of its natural oxide layer with a solution of CuCl2 produced in an electrochemical cell. This procedure enables Al to react with CO2 and yield useful chemistry. This experiment turned to be a discovery trip. The detailed procedure is discussed here, as well as the teaching methodology, grading scheme, and student outcomes.
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spelling doaj.art-be0ffe88015b42b789093ad7c5d1d87a2022-12-22T00:45:36ZengOmniaScienceJournal of Technology and Science Education2013-63742022-07-0112244044710.3926/jotse.1610310CO2 capture and conversion: A homemade experimental approachAdalberto Acuña-Girault0Ximena Gómez del Campo-Rábago1Marco Antonio Contreras-Ruiz2Jorge G. Ibanez3Universidad IberoamericanaUniversidad IberoamericanaUniversidad Iberoamericana. Direccion Desarrollo y Acompañamiento EducativoUniversidad IberoamericanaDuring the SARS-2-Covid pandemic our institution sought to continue the teaching and learning of experimental laboratories by designing, assembling, and delivering a microscale chemistry kit to the students´ homes. Thanks to this approach students were able to perform ~25 experiments during each one of the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 semesters in an elective Electrochemistry and Corrosion course offered to Chemical Engineering undergraduates. In addition to performing traditional experiments, students were encouraged to design some of their own and have the entire group reproduce them. One of such student-designed experiments involved the capture of CO2 and its reduction with a readily available active metal (i.e., Al foil) in aqueous media to generate potentially useful products. The highly negative standard potential of Al is exploited for the reduction of lab-generated CO2, and the products are chemically tested. Al as a foil has been reported to be electrochemically inactive for carbon dioxide reduction. However, encouraged by an earlier report of the reduction of CO2 to CO, the Al surface is activated in the present experiment by removal of its natural oxide layer with a solution of CuCl2 produced in an electrochemical cell. This procedure enables Al to react with CO2 and yield useful chemistry. This experiment turned to be a discovery trip. The detailed procedure is discussed here, as well as the teaching methodology, grading scheme, and student outcomes.https://www.jotse.org/index.php/jotse/article/view/1610carbon dioxide, aluminum, redox reactions, electrochemistry, co2 capture
spellingShingle Adalberto Acuña-Girault
Ximena Gómez del Campo-Rábago
Marco Antonio Contreras-Ruiz
Jorge G. Ibanez
CO2 capture and conversion: A homemade experimental approach
Journal of Technology and Science Education
carbon dioxide, aluminum, redox reactions, electrochemistry, co2 capture
title CO2 capture and conversion: A homemade experimental approach
title_full CO2 capture and conversion: A homemade experimental approach
title_fullStr CO2 capture and conversion: A homemade experimental approach
title_full_unstemmed CO2 capture and conversion: A homemade experimental approach
title_short CO2 capture and conversion: A homemade experimental approach
title_sort co2 capture and conversion a homemade experimental approach
topic carbon dioxide, aluminum, redox reactions, electrochemistry, co2 capture
url https://www.jotse.org/index.php/jotse/article/view/1610
work_keys_str_mv AT adalbertoacunagirault co2captureandconversionahomemadeexperimentalapproach
AT ximenagomezdelcamporabago co2captureandconversionahomemadeexperimentalapproach
AT marcoantoniocontrerasruiz co2captureandconversionahomemadeexperimentalapproach
AT jorgegibanez co2captureandconversionahomemadeexperimentalapproach