DECADE - A new photo-electrocatalytic approach for the conversion of CO2

On the 16^th of February the consortium of the DECADE EU funded project (H2020) met for the 45-month meeting in Florence. The discussion focused on the newly delivered TRL5 prototype, designed and manufactured by HYSYTECH, and on the materials upscaling (cathodic, anodic, electrolyte and PV module).

Within DECADE, a new photo-electrocatalytic (PEC) approach has been implemented for the conversion of CO₂ avoiding water oxidation as anodic reaction to overcome the current limitations in PEC systems and to maximize effective energy utilization. The proposed PEC system converts sunlight, carbon dioxide and bioethanol into ethyl acetate and ethyl formate, to be used as drop-in green solvent or as octane booster fuel component.