Effect of nanostructured carbon support on copper electrocatalytic activity toward CO2 electroreduction to hydrocarbon fuels
- Naval Research Lab. (NRL), Washington, DC (United States)
- Univ. of Oxford (United Kingdom)
- Drexel Univ., Philadelphia, PA (United States)
The effect of support on electrocatalytic activity of Cu nanoparticles (NPs) towards CO2 electroreduction to hydrocarbon fuels (CH4 and C2H4) is investigated for three types of nanostructured carbons: single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT), graphene (GP) and onion-like carbon (OLC). Cu/SWNT, Cu/GP and Cu/OLC composite catalysts are synthesized and characterized by X-Ray diffraction analysis, transmission electron microscopy and electrochemical surface area measurements. Electrocatalytic activities of the synthesized materials, as measured in an electrochemical cell connected to a gas chromatograph, are compared to that of Cu NPs supported on Vulcan carbon. All four catalysts demonstrate higher activity towards C2H4 generation vs CH4, with production of the latter mostly suppressed on Cu NPs supported on nanostructured substrates. Onset potentials for C2H4 vs CH4 generation are shifted positively by 200 mV for Cu/SWNT, Cu/GP, and Cu/OLC catalysts. The Cu/OLC catalyst is found to be superior to the other two nanostructured catalysts in terms of stability, activity and selectivity towards C2H4 generation. Its faradaic efficiency reached 60% at -1.8 V vs Ag/AgCl. The enhanced activity and stability of Cu/OLC catalyst can be attributed to the unique catalyst design, wherein a shell of OLC surrounds the Cu NPs such that the outer layer acts as a filter that protects the Cu surface from adsorption of undesirable species, enhances its electrocatalytic performance, and improves its viability in CO2 electroreduction reaction.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Fluid Interface Reactions, Structures and Transport Center (FIRST)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC05-00OR22725
- OSTI ID:
- 1394472
- Alternate ID(s):
- OSTI ID: 1703692
- Journal Information:
- Catalysis Today, Vol. 288, Issue C; ISSN 0920-5861
- Publisher:
- ElsevierCopyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Web of Science
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