The Energy Laboratory (E-lab) is a facility originally conceived to analyse the products from CO₂ reduction reaction. Gas products coming out of the reaction are analysed by gas chromatography (GC), either online or offline, and products in the liquid phase are analysed by ion chromatography (IC). The laboratory is also equipped with mass flow controllers (MFC) and gas lines to manage the needed gases. Moreover, a potentiostat is available to run electrochemical reduction reaction.

Nevertheless, the lab facilities are available to users for any other suitable purpose.

The two gas chromatographs available have special configurations to analyse gas mixtures and study their composition, both from a qualitative and quantitative point of view.

Ion chromatography allows to analyse anions and cations in aqueous and non-aqueous electrolytes and polar molecules. The range of application is wide: analysis of ions (halides, acetate, oxalate, formate, nitrate, nitrite, ammonium, sulfate…etc), peptides, nucleotides, fatty acids, amino acids, or sugars from different sources, such as food, drink, blood plasma, sweat or water.

This laboratory has received funding from Agencia Estatal de Investigación/Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (Severo Ochoa Excellence grant CEX2019-000925-S, MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033).

Equipment

• Potentiostat 1
  
  SP-150 from BioLogic Science Instruments.
• Potentiostat 2
  
  Autolab Vionic from Metrohm.
• Mass Flow Controllers (MFC)
  
  Four MFC. Alicat Scientific, model Mass Flow Controller, 0-100, SCCM with display.
• Ion chromatograph (IC)
  
  930 Compact IC Flex from Metrohm.
• Gas chromatographs (GC)
  
  Two GC. Agilent model GC-FID-TCD 6890.
• Chiller
  
  Ministat CC240 from HUBER (-45ºC/200ºC).
• Sampling canisters
  
  As a complementary equipment, gas sampling canisters are available.