Shashwati da Cunha

I design electrolyzers that convert CO₂ into useful chemicals.

PhD Candidate in the Resasco Catalysis Lab at The University of Texas at Austin.

My research focuses on

co-designing chemical processes and reactors to electrochemically convert CO₂ into chemical feedstocks
developing scaleup strategies by modeling electrolyzers within energy systems and integrated chemical processes
the intersection of energy infrastructure, the chemicals industry, and climate change

Awarded the Chevron Graduate Energy Fellowship for outstanding innovation in energy systems and the Eastman Graduate Fellowship for research benefiting the chemical process industry. Interned at IBM Research in semiconductor process engineering and Atrimed Biotech in small molecule drug development. Developed neural networks to identify chemical reaction rate constants and unknown reaction mechanisms in the Medford Lab at Georgia Tech. Yellow Jacket at heart. Interdisciplinary experience includes building equipment for evolutionary biologists and learning chemistry from electrical engineers (even if they claim it’s physics).

Passionate about broadening engagement with research, from elementary schoolers through university presidents.

Selected publications

Insights from techno-economic analysis can guide the design of low-temperature CO₂ electrolyzers towards industrial scaleup

Shashwati C. Da Cunha, and Joaquin Resasco

ACS Energy Letters, Oct 2024

Abstract PDF Read online

The field of CO₂ reduction has identified several challenges that must be overcome to realize its immense potential to simultaneously close the carbon cycle, replace fossil-based chemical feedstocks, and store renewable electricity. However, frequently cited research targets were set without quantitatively predicting their impact on the economic viability of CO₂ reduction. Using a physics-informed techno-economic assessment, we offer guidance on the most pressing research priorities for CO₂ reduction based on state-of-the-art electrolyzer performance. We find that the levelized product cost is dominated by the cost of electricity used to drive electrolysis, and the capital cost of the process mostly arises from separations, especially of unreacted CO₂ to be recycled. At a cell resistance as low as 1 Ω·cm² and retail electricity prices, operating at a total current density \textgreater475 mA/cm² drives up electricity demands and increases the cost of producing CO. High current density operation is therefore undesirable unless low cell voltages can be maintained. Although wholesale wind and solar electricity are cheaper than retail electricity, their capacity factors are too low for economical process operation. Adding energy storage to increase the capacity factor of solar electricity triples the capital cost from \34.4 million to \112.6 million for a plant making 50 tCO/day. Improving single-pass conversion is not a priority because it leads to selectivity loss in contemporary membrane electrode assemblies, giving an optimum conversion at \textless15%. To overcome this limitation, we identify the opportunity to modify reactor design to improve CO₂ availability to the catalyst. Decoupling selectivity and single-pass conversion by moving away from a plug flow reactor design, without adding cell voltage, would reduce the base case levelized cost of \1.22/kgCO to \0.97/kgCO and save 36% on capital cost. Finally, we conclude that resolving the “carbonate crossover problem” in neutral electrolytes is not a priority for improving the levelized cost of product.
Maximizing single-pass conversion does not result in practical readiness for CO2 reduction electrolyzers

Shashwati C. Da Cunha, and Joaquin Resasco

Nature Communications, Sep 2023

Abstract PDF Read online

For many chemical processes, high single-pass conversion of reactants into products reduces the need to separate products downstream. However, low-temperature carbon dioxide electrolyzers that maximize single-pass conversion suffer from low product concentration. Maximizing product concentration is therefore a more meaningful target for CO2 electrolyzers than maximizing single-pass conversion.