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Title: Selective Electrocatalytic Activity of Ligand Stabilized Copper Oxide Nanoparticles

Journal Article · · Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/jz200850y· OSTI ID:1036455

Ligand stabilization can influence the surface chemistry of Cu oxide nanoparticles (NPs) and provide unique product distributions for electrocatalytic methanol (MeOH) oxidation and CO{sub 2} reduction reactions. Oleic acid (OA) stabilized Cu{sub 2}O and CuO NPs promote the MeOH oxidation reaction with 88% and 99.97% selective HCOH formation, respectively. Alternatively, CO{sub 2} is the only reaction product detected for bulk Cu oxides and Cu oxide NPs with no ligands or weakly interacting ligands. We also demonstrate that OA stabilized Cu oxide NPs can reduce CO{sub 2} into CO with a {approx}1.7-fold increase in CO/H{sub 2} production ratios compared to bulk Cu oxides. The OA stabilized Cu oxide NPs also show 7.6 and 9.1-fold increases in CO/H{sub 2} production ratios compared to weakly stabilized and non-stabilized Cu oxide NPs, respectively. Our data illustrates that the presence and type of surface ligand can substantially influence the catalytic product selectivity of Cu oxide NPs.

Research Organization:
National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA, and Morgantown, WV (United States). In-house Research
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Fossil Energy (FE)
OSTI ID:
1036455
Report Number(s):
NETL-PUB 94; TRN: US201206%%322
Journal Information:
Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, Vol. 2, Issue 16; ISSN 1948-7185
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English