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Highly Efficient Solar-Driven Carbon Dioxide Reduction on Molybdenum Disulfide Catalyst Using Choline Chloride-Based Electrolyte

Journal Article · · Advanced Energy Materials
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [3];  [1];  [2];  [4];  [3];  [3];  [5];  [6];  [5];  [2];  [3]
  1. Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago IL 60616 USA
  2. Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana IL 61801 USA
  3. Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago IL 60607 USA
  4. Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne IL 60439 USA
  5. Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne IL 60439 USA
  6. Department of Civil and Materials Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago IL 60607 USA
+ Show Author Affiliations

Conversion of CO2 to energy-rich chemicals using renewable energy is of much interest to close the anthropogenic carbon cycle. However, the current photoelectrochemical systems are still far from being practically feasible. Here the successful demonstration of a continuous, energy efficient, and scalable solar-driven CO2 reduction process based on earth-abundant molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) catalyst, which works in synergy with an inexpensive hybrid electrolyte of choline chloride (a common food additive for livestock) and potassium hydroxide (KOH) is reported. The CO(2 )saturated hybrid electrolyte utilized in this study also acts as a buffer solution (pH approximate to 7.6) to adjust pH during the reactions. This study reveals that this system can efficiently convert CO(2 )to CO with solar-to-fuel and catalytic conversion efficiencies of 23% and 83%, respectively. Using density functional theory calculations, a new reaction mechanism in which the water molecules near the MoS(2 )cathode act as proton donors to facilitate the CO2 reduction process by MoS2 catalyst is proposed. This demonstration of a continuous, cost-effective, and energy efficient solar driven CO2 conversion process is a key step toward the industrialization of this technology.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
Illinois Institute of Technology; National Science Foundation (NSF); USDOE Office of Science - Office of Basic Energy Sciences - Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Biosciences Division; USDOE Office of Science - Office of Basic Energy Sciences - Materials Sciences and Engineering Division
DOE Contract Number:
AC02-06CH11357
OSTI ID:
1505604
Journal Information:
Advanced Energy Materials, Vol. 9, Issue 9; ISSN 1614-6832
Publisher:
Wiley
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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