CO2 capture and conversion: A homemade experimental approach

During the SARS-2-Covid pandemic our institution sought to continue teaching and learning of experimental laboratories by designing, assembling, delivering a microscale chemistry kit students´ homes. Thanks this approach students were able perform ~25 experiments during each one Fall 2020 Spring 2021 semesters in an elective Electrochemistry Corrosion course offered Chemical Engineering undergraduates. In addition performing traditional experiments, encouraged design some their own have entire group reproduce them. One such student-designed involved capture CO2 its reduction with readily available active metal (i.e., Al foil) aqueous media generate potentially useful products. The highly negative standard potential is exploited for lab-generated CO2, products are chemically tested. as foil has been reported be electrochemically inactive carbon dioxide reduction. However, earlier report CO, surface activated present experiment removal natural oxide layer solution CuCl2 produced electrochemical cell. This procedure enables react yield chemistry. turned discovery trip. detailed discussed here, well methodology, grading scheme, student outcomes.