Sustainable Hydrocarbon Fuels As Long-Duration Energy Storage Materials

Long-duration energy storage is essential for addressing the intermittency of renewable power sources and ensuring grid reliability. Sustainable hydrocarbon fuels offer a promising solution due to their high energy density, storability, and compatibility with existing energy infrastructure. These fuels serve as flexible energy carriers that can integrate with variable renewable energy inputs while supporting decarbonization in hard-to-electrify sectors.

Our research focuses on the development of catalytic technologies that enable the efficient and selective production of these fuels from renewable and waste carbon resources. A biphasic tandem catalytic system has been developed to convert oilseed biomass into sustainable aviation fuels with high carbon-atom efficiency. In parallel, a sequential catalytic approach has been designed for the selective deconstruction of mixed waste plastics into liquid hydrocarbons and functional monomers, facilitating both waste valorization and energy storage.

To expand the scope of carbon sources, we have also advanced a catalytic route for CO₂ conversion using renewable hydrogen. For instance, a composite Fe-based catalyst engineered for dynamic stability achieves over 50% CO₂ conversion and greater than 60% selectivity toward C₄+ hydrocarbons in a single pass. The catalyst exhibits excellent durability, maintaining full activity for over 300 hours under steady-state conditions and retaining performance following dormancy under simulated dynamic operation. Operando spectroscopy and computational modeling reveal that dynamic phase transitions are central to its sustained performance under fluctuating conditions.

These integrated catalytic strategies demonstrate a scalable path toward sustainable hydrocarbon fuels as long-duration energy storage materials, enabling greater flexibility for renewable energy systems and contributing to a circular, low-carbon energy economy.