̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge - CARES

Researchers unravel the complex reaction pathways in zero-carbon fuel synthesis

Anonymous — Fri, 20 Jan 2023 11:54:46 +0000

When the eCO2EP: A chemical energy storage technology project started in 2018, the objective was to develop ways of converting carbon dioxide emitted as part of industrial processes into useful compounds, a process known as electrochemical CO2 reduction (eCO2R)

While eCO2R is not a new technique, the challenge has always been the inability to control the end products. Now, researchers from the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge have outlined how carbon isotopes can be used to trace intermediates during the process, which will allow scientists to create more selective catalysts, control product selectivity, and promote eCO2R as a more promising production method for chemicals and fuels in the low-carbon economy. Their results are reported in the journal Nature Catalysis.

̽��ֱ��project was led by Professor Alexei Lapkin, from Cambridge’s Centre for Advanced Research and Education in Singapore (CARES Ltd) and Professor Joel Ager, from the Berkeley Education Alliance for Research in Singapore (BEARS Ltd). Both organisations are part of the Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE) funded by Singapore’s National Research Foundation.

In the 1950s, Berkeley’s Melvin Calvin identified the elementary steps used in nature to fix carbon dioxide in photosynthesis. Calvin and his colleagues used a radioactive form of carbon as a tracer to learn the order in which intermediates appeared in the cycle now named after him, work which won him the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1961.

̽��ֱ��eCO2EP team found that with a sensitive enough mass spectrometer, they could use the small differences in reaction rates associated with the two stable isotopes of carbon, carbon-12 and carbon-13, to perform similar types of analyses.

First, a mixture of products such as methanol and ethylene were generated by a prototype reactor that was built to operate under industrial conditions. To detect both major and minor products in real time as the operating conditions were changed, high-sensitivity mass spectrometry was used.

Since high-sensitivity mass spectrometry is more commonly used in biological and atmospheric sciences, co-authors Dr Mikhail Kovalev and Dr Hangjuan Ren adapted the technique to their prototype system. They developed a method to directly sample the reaction environment with high sensitivity and time response.

̽��ֱ��researchers used the difference in reaction rates of carbon-12 and carbon-13 to group a product such as ethanol and its major intermediates sharing the same pathway, to deduce key relationships in the chemical network.

̽��ֱ��researchers found that there are substantial differences in the mechanisms at work in smaller reactors versus larger reactors, a finding which will enable them to better control product selectivity.

̽��ֱ��team also discovered that the reaction used less of the heavier carbon-13 isotope than carbon-12. This difference in usage was found to be five times greater than that observed in natural photosynthesis, where carbon-13 is fixed at a slower rate than carbon-12. This is inspiring efforts in Professor Ager’s lab to better understand fundamental physics and the chemical origins of this large and unanticipated effect. An international patent application has also been filed.

“ ̽��ֱ��set-up of the project within CREATE Campus allowed Joel and I to create an environment of creativity and ambition, to enable the researchers to excel and to target the really complex and interesting problems,” said Lapkin. “ ̽��ֱ��monitoring of multiple species in such a complex reaction is, by itself, a significant breakthrough by the team, but the ability to further dig into the mechanism by exploring the isotope enrichment effect has made all the difference.”

“This work required an interdisciplinary approach drawing on expertise from both Cambridge and Berkeley,” said Ager. “CREATE campus provided an ideal environment to realise this collaborative research with a skilled and motivated team.”

̽��ֱ��eCO2EP project was funded by the National Research Foundation, Prime Minister’s Office, Singapore under its Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE) programme.

Reference:
Hangjuan Ren et al. ‘Operando proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry of carbon dioxide reduction electrocatalysis.’ Nature Catalysis (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41929-022-00891-3.

Adapted from a story posted on the CARES website.

Researchers have used isotopes of carbon to trace how carbon dioxide emissions could be converted into low-carbon fuels and chemicals. ̽��ֱ��result could help the chemical industry, which is the third largest subsector in terms of direct CO2 emissions, recycle its own waste using current manufacturing processes.

yorkfoto via Getty Images

Chemical plant drone view

̽��ֱ��text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Images, including our videos, are Copyright © ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and licensors/contributors as identified. All rights reserved. We make our image and video content available in a number of ways – as here, on our main website under its Terms and conditions, and on a range of channels including social media that permit your use and sharing of our content under their respective Terms.

Yes

Cambridge ̽��ֱ�� and Nanyang Technological ̽��ֱ��, Singapore establish new research centre to support lifelong learning

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Oct 2020 14:50:57 +0000

̽��ֱ��Centre for Lifelong Learning and Individualised Cognition (CLIC) is a collaboration between the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and the Nanyang Technological ̽��ֱ��, Singapore (NTU Singapore), and is funded by Singapore’s National Research Foundation.

Cultivating new skills is a lifelong process that requires cognitive flexibility, yet there is currently a gap in evidence-based training programmes that can effectively support and promote this way of learning throughout people’s lives.

Cognitive flexibility goes far beyond conventional IQ; it is the essential capacity for responding to the fluctuating events of the modern world. It underlies adaptive coping to change, and also the generation of innovative, creative thinking.

Trevor Robbins, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience Psychology in the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge’s Department of Psychology and a senior academic advisor to the programme, said: "Understanding the psychological basis of cognitive flexibility and its basis in the brain will have enormous societal benefits, with educational, as well as clinical, impact.”

He added: “This novel and original collaborative programme by two leading Universities will enhance the science of learning by innovative interventions and methods, for training cognitive flexibility over the life span."

̽��ֱ��research programme will be led by Zoe Kourtzi, Professor of Experimental Psychology in Cambridge’s Department of Psychology. Involving researchers in psychology, neuroscience, linguistics and education, CLIC will explore cross-disciplinary ways to develop innovative research in the science of learning. ̽��ֱ��ultimate goal is to translate these research findings into an integrated model of learning that can be applied in the real world, improving cognitive flexibility across the life span.

Research will focus on four life stages - early years, adolescence, young adults and middle age - when flexible behaviour is critical for coping with changing circumstances. During these periods the brain undergoes neural changes such as early maturation, restructuring or resilience to decline, presenting important opportunities for intervention.

NTU Senior Vice President (Research), Professor Lam Khin Yong said: “ ̽��ֱ��cross-disciplinary collaboration between researchers from NTU Singapore and Cambridge ̽��ֱ�� is expected to have wide-ranging impact on workers, as technology and globalisation change the nature of labour markets worldwide.”

He added: “ ̽��ֱ��ability to develop and master new skills at the workplace is becoming increasingly pressing globally. Singapore’s nationwide SkillsFuture programme, for example, gives opportunities for people to develop their fullest potential throughout life. Yet, we know that differences in individual cognitive functions can affect learning and performance. This is where research in the Science of Learning can play a key role in enhancing educational outcomes and practice. ̽��ֱ��new Centre will support the country’s drive in helping the workforce prepare for the digital economy, as businesses turn to automation.”

Annabel Chen, Co-Director of CLIC and Professor of Psychology and Director for the Centre for Research and Development in Learning (CRADLE) at NTU, Singapore, said: “This is an exciting development for research in the Science of Learning. We have been working closely with colleagues from Cambridge, and tapping into expertise across NTU, including the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Nanyang Business School, National Institute of Education, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine and College of Engineering to develop the CLIC programme.”

She added: “This development complements the Science of Learning Initiative in the Centre of Research and Development in Learning (CRADLE), launched by NTU in 2015. With this multidisciplinary effort and input from the Ministry of Education and SkillsFuture Singapore, we believe our programme will be able to provide insights and translatable solutions for the Future of Learning and Economy in Singapore and beyond.”

̽��ֱ��collaboration was brought together through the presence of the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge’s first overseas research centre in Singapore, the Centre for Advanced Research and Education in Singapore Ltd (CARES). CARES was established in 2013 under the Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE) – a collection of 15 joint research programmes between local universities and top overseas institutions funded by Singapore’s National Research Foundation (NRF). ̽��ֱ��Centre hosts several research programmes, most of which involve NTU and focus on the decarbonisation of Singapore’s chemical industry.

̽��ֱ��new programme on the science of learning is a novel direction for CARES and CREATE, bringing together expertise from Cambridge and Singapore to investigate new ways of helping people prepare and adapt to the rapidly changing workplace.

A new research centre focused on improving support for lifelong learning and cognitive agility opened on 1 October 2020 in Singapore.

̽��ֱ��programme will enhance the science of learning by innovative interventions and methods, for training cognitive flexibility over the life span

Trevor Robbins

Jess Bailey on Unsplash

Coloured pencils

Yes

Licence type:

Attribution-Noncommerical

̽��ֱ��‘brain’ that’s helping reduce carbon emissions

sc604 — Mon, 06 Aug 2018 09:31:52 +0000

For a chemical engineer, Jurong Island is a kind of paradise. ̽��ֱ��artificial island, built upon seven smaller islands off the Singapore mainland in the 1980s and 1990s, is now home to nearly 100 global petroleum, petrochemical and speciality chemical companies, indicating Singapore’s status as a global crossroads.

All those plants and factories produce a lot of carbon emissions – in fact more than half of global emissions come from industries like those based on the Island. With so many companies in such a small space, Jurong is an ideal laboratory for looking at ways to reduce emissions and improve sustainability. Little wonder that it has become the centre of Singapore’s efforts to cut its emissions intensity by 36% (compared with 2005 levels) by 2030.

“Because Singapore is a city-state, you’re never too far from the people who have the power to enact policy change,” says Professor Markus Kraft. “In Singapore, it’s easier to see the impact that certain changes can have on the carbon footprint of the whole country – it’s an ideal test bed for researchers. We can then use our results from Singapore as an example to roll out to other cities and other countries.”

Kraft is Director of the Cambridge Centre for Advanced Research and Education in Singapore (CARES), a wholly owned subsidiary of the ̽��ֱ�� based at Singapore’s Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), which was established in 2007 with funding from Singapore’s National Research Foundation to encourage collaboration between universities and industry.

̽��ֱ��team in Singapore is made up of researchers from Cambridge, local universities and other institutions. Its unique setting, combined with a diverse membership that ranges from PhD students to professors, has enabled CARES, which was established in 2013, to be involved in several research and industry collaborations. ̽��ֱ��most recent, with fellow CREATE partners, the ̽��ֱ�� of California, Berkeley, the National ̽��ֱ�� of Singapore and the Nanyang Technological ̽��ֱ��, will develop new ways to transform industrial CO₂ emissions into compounds that are useful in the chemical industry supply chain.

̽��ֱ��overall goal of the researchers based at CARES is to reduce industrial carbon emissions and improve sustainability through the development of cleaner fuels, carbon capture and efficiency improvements in industrial processes.

Research to assess and reduce the carbon footprint of an eco-industrial park like Jurong Island is happening under CARES’ first research programme (the Cambridge Centre for Carbon Reduction in Chemical Technology). ̽��ֱ��work has been split into complementary areas that include making chemical processes and reactions more efficient, creating cleaner fuel blends and reducing energy consumption within electrical and chemical supply systems.

Their flagship project is the J-Park Simulator, an AI-driven engine that combines mathematical modelling with the ‘Internet of Things’ to help reduce carbon emissions, as Kraft describes: “In the future, we may be able to access whole networks of machines, and the machines will talk to each other.

“There are models behind industrial processes, but to build them you need a semantic representation of everything you might find in an industrial plant. You also need mathematical models that contain knowledge about any given physical entity. These entities can broadcast data into the model – it’s a bit like the nerves in your hand sending a signal to your brain. ̽��ֱ��J-Park Simulator is essentially that brain.”

̽��ֱ��J-Park Simulator aims to provide a virtual representation of multiple domains in real time. It could have the ability to represent every plant on Jurong Island, and every piece of equipment in each of those plants from data that is constantly fed into it.

“Each piece of data is like a single brick – when you have enough bricks, you can start to build walls and houses; the idea of the Simulator is to allow you to design plants in ways that you couldn’t before because now we can make better use of mathematical optimisation,” says Kraft, who is a Fellow of Churchill College.

̽��ֱ��Simulator attempts to represent the highly interconnected nature of Jurong Island, and could be a powerful tool to demonstrate the effects of certain policies. For example, if a single power plant was able to reduce its carbon emissions by 10% through optimising its processes, the J-Park Simulator could show the effect of that reduction across multiple domains – it could allow the impact of different ‘what-if’ scenarios to be modelled in real time.

“We are developing the Simulator with the aim of helping us to understand cross-domain connectivity and to create alternative scenarios for us to study which policy to implement,” says Kraft. “To reach an optimum symbiotic relationship among industries and other networks, all resources need to be taken into account simultaneously.”

In its first phase, the CARES team investigated technologies with the potential to save more than eight million tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year from Singapore – approximately 18% of Singapore’s 2012 emissions. In its second phase, the team want to take its ideas forward and closer to real-world application.

“One of the ideas we developed in Phase One was to blend biodiesel with diesel fuel for road transport,” says Kraft. “We’ve estimated that this could save approximately 0.8 million tonnes per year of CO₂ for Singapore. What we plan to look at in Phase Two is whether we can do something similar for marine shipping traffic. We have estimated that this has the potential to save approximately an additional 0.5 million tonnes per year of CO₂ in Singapore, but it also has the potential to be adopted worldwide. This could have a much broader global impact, far beyond just shipping in the Singapore Strait.”

In CARES’ second phase, the J-Park Simulator will be extended and expanded, and the team is exploring the possibility of connecting it to a real-world smart grid. Kraft and his team are also busy building relationships with government and policymakers in Singapore to implement their research and help reduce Singapore’s carbon footprint.

“I’m grateful that we can work in Singapore with so many colleagues from around the world,” says Kraft. “Our work here has also had a positive impact in Cambridge – not just because of the funding, but also because of the international exchange of ideas and talent. It’s an ideal platform for collaboration.”

From their base halfway across the globe in Singapore, Cambridge researchers are working with colleagues from around the world to reduce carbon emissions in industry.

Jurong is an ideal laboratory for looking at ways to reduce emissions and improve sustainability.

Markus Kraft

William Cho

Jurong Island

Yes

Licence type:

Attribution-Noncommercial-ShareAlike