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Title: Optimizing C–C Coupling on Oxide-Derived Copper Catalysts for Electrochemical CO2 Reduction

Journal Article · · Journal of Physical Chemistry. C
 [1];  [2];  [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]
  1. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)
  2. Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research, Shanghai (People's Republic of China); Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

Here, copper electrodes, prepared by reduction of oxidized metallic copper, have been reported to exhibit higher activity for the electrochemical reduction of CO2 and better selectivity toward C2 and C3 (C2+) products than metallic copper that has not been preoxidized. We report here an investigation of the effects of four different preparations of oxide-derived electrocatalysts on their activity and selectivity for CO2 reduction, with particular attention given to the selectivity to C2+ products. All catalysts were tested for CO2 reduction in 0.1 M KHCO3 and 0.1 M CsHCO3 at applied voltages in the range from –0.7 to –1.0 V vs RHE. The best performing oxide-derived catalysts show up to ~70% selectivity to C2+ products and only ~3% selectivity to C1 products at –1.0 V vs RHE when CsHCO3 is used as the electrolyte. In contrast, the selectivity to C2+ products decreases to ~56% for the same catalysts tested in KHCO3. By studying all catalysts under identical conditions, the key factors affecting product selectivity could be discerned. These efforts reveal that the surface area of the oxide-derived layer is a critical parameter affecting selectivity. A high selectivity to C2+ products is attained at an overpotential of –1 V vs RHE by operating at a current density sufficiently high to achieve a moderately high pH near the catalyst surface but not so high as to cause a significant reduction in the local concentration of CO2. On the basis of recent theoretical studies, a high pH suppresses the formation of C1 relative to C2+ products. At the same time, however, a high local CO2 concentration is necessary for the formation of C2+ products.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Biosciences Division
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231
OSTI ID:
1418297
Journal Information:
Journal of Physical Chemistry. C, Vol. 121, Issue 26; ISSN 1932-7447
Publisher:
American Chemical SocietyCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 206 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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CO 2 reduction on gas-diffusion electrodes and why catalytic performance must be assessed at commercially-relevant conditions journal January 2019
Sequential catalysis enables enhanced C–C coupling towards multi-carbon alkenes and alcohols in carbon dioxide reduction: a study on bifunctional Cu/Au electrocatalysts journal January 2019
Preparation and characterization of crosslinked poly(vinylimidazolium) anion exchange membranes for artificial photosynthesis journal January 2019
Advances and challenges in electrochemical CO 2 reduction processes: an engineering and design perspective looking beyond new catalyst materials journal January 2020
Evidence for product-specific active sites on oxide-derived Cu catalysts for electrochemical CO2 reduction journal December 2018
Cuprous ions embedded in ceria lattice for selective and stable electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide to ethylene journal January 2018
Controlled Substrate Transport to Electrocatalyst Active Sites for Enhanced Selectivity in the Carbon Dioxide Reduction Reaction journal June 2019
Nitrogen-doped metal-free carbon catalysts for (electro)chemical CO 2 conversion and valorisation journal January 2019
Effects of Anion Identity and Concentration on Electrochemical Reduction of CO 2 journal February 2018
On the Oxidation State of Cu 2 O upon Electrochemical CO 2 Reduction: An XPS Study journal July 2019
Microwave, Ultrasound, and Mechanochemistry: Unconventional Tools that Are Used to Obtain “Smart” Catalysts for CO2 Hydrogenation journal June 2018
Low-cost high-efficiency system for solar-driven conversion of CO 2 to hydrocarbons journal March 2019
A Disquisition on the Active Sites of Heterogeneous Catalysts for Electrochemical Reduction of CO 2 to Value‐Added Chemicals and Fuel journal November 2019
Cu( ii )-nanoparticle-derived structures under CO 2 reduction conditions: a matter of shape journal January 2019
CO 2 electroreduction to ethylene via hydroxide-mediated copper catalysis at an abrupt interface journal May 2018
The effects of currents and potentials on the selectivities of copper toward carbon dioxide electroreduction journal March 2018
Carbon dioxide electroreduction to C2 products over copper-cuprous oxide derived from electrosynthesized copper complex journal August 2019
Understanding three-dimensionally interconnected porous oxide-derived copper electrocatalyst for selective carbon dioxide reduction journal January 2019
Efficient solar-driven electrochemical CO 2 reduction to hydrocarbons and oxygenates journal January 2017
Transforming the carbon economy: challenges and opportunities in the convergence of low-cost electricity and reductive CO 2 utilization journal January 2020
Towards Higher Rate Electrochemical CO2 Conversion: From Liquid-Phase to Gas-Phase Systems journal March 2019
Si photocathode with Ag-supported dendritic Cu catalyst for CO 2 reduction journal January 2019
Zn-Cu Alloy Nanofoams as Efficient Catalysts for the Reduction of CO 2 to Syngas Mixtures with a Potential-Independent H 2 /CO Ratio journal January 2019
Atomic‐Scale Spacing between Copper Facets for the Electrochemical Reduction of Carbon Dioxide journal March 2020
Selective electrochemical CO 2 reduction to CO using in situ reduced In 2 O 3 nanocatalysts journal January 2017
A computational exploration of CO 2 reduction via CO dimerization on mixed-valence copper oxide surface journal January 2018
Metal Organic Framework Derived Materials: Progress and Prospects for the Energy Conversion and Storage journal July 2018
CO 2 electrolysis to multicarbon products at activities greater than 1 A cm −2 journal February 2020
Defining a Materials Database for the Design of Copper Binary Alloy Catalysts for Electrochemical CO 2 Conversion journal January 2018
Paramelaconite‐Enriched Copper‐Based Material as an Efficient and Robust Catalyst for Electrochemical Carbon Dioxide Reduction journal June 2019
Stability of Residual Oxides in Oxide-Derived Copper Catalysts for Electrochemical CO 2 Reduction Investigated with 18 O Labeling journal December 2017
Designing materials for electrochemical carbon dioxide recycling journal July 2019
Low-cost high-efficiency system for solar-driven conversion of CO2 to hydrocarbons text January 2019
Stability of Residual Oxides in Oxide‐Derived Copper Catalysts for Electrochemical CO 2 Reduction Investigated with 18 O Labeling journal December 2017
Plasma-Modified Dendritic Cu Catalyst for CO2Electroreduction journal April 2019
Operando Insight into the Correlation between the Structure and Composition of CuZn Nanoparticles and Their Selectivity for the Electrochemical CO 2 Reduction journal November 2019

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