Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-sjtt6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-01T18:55:29.748Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Electrochemical Reduction of CO2 using Copper Oxide Nanoparticles supported on Glassy Carbon Electrodes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 June 2014

Gregory L. Griffin
Affiliation:
Department of Chemical Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, U.S.A.
Joel Bugayong
Affiliation:
Department of Chemical Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, U.S.A.
Get access

Abstract

We have studied the electrochemical reduction of CO2 using Cu2O nanoparticles deposited on planar electrodes. Nanoparticles are prepared in aqueous solution by chemical reduction of CuCl2 using ascorbic acid with polyethylene glycol surfactant. The particles are then re-suspended in ethanol with added Nafion binder and brush-coated onto glassy carbon substrates. The CO2 electroreduction activity is measured in KHCO3 electrolyte under flowing CO2 using a two-compartment electrochemical cell. Product formation rates are determined using gas chromatography; major gas phase products include CO, H2, C2H4, and CH4, while liquid phase products include C2H5OH and 1-C3H5OH. The observed product distribution agrees with results obtained previously using similar Cu2O particles deposited on carbon fiber paper supports, as well as Cu2O catalysts prepared by electrodeposition or thermal oxidation. In particular, the catalysts produce a much higher ratio of C2H4 to CH4 than observed using polycrystalline Cu foil. The potential dependence of the formation rates for hydrocarbon and alcohol products is roughly two times greater than for H2 and CO formation. Both XRD and SEM measurements confirm the Cu2O nanoparticles undergo at least partial reduction to Cu metal under CO2 reduction conditions, accompanied by significant surface morphological changes. Thus the kinetic results are consistent with current models that the increased C2H4/CH4 ratio is due to the presence of a more open atomic structure on the freshly reduced Cu surfaces.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Hori, Y., in Modern Aspects of Electrochemistry, Number 42, Vayenas, C. G. et al. ., Editors, p. 89, Springer, New York ( 2008).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gattrell, M., Gupta, N., and Co, A., Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry, 594, 1 (2006).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Frese, K. W. Jr., J. Electrochem. Soc., 138(11), 3338 (1991).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chang, T.-Y., Liang, R.-M., Wu, P.-W., Chen, J.-Y., and Hsieh, Y.-C., Materials Letters, 63, 1001 (2009).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Li, C. W. and Kanan, M. W., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 134(17), 7231 (2012).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bugayong, J. and Griffin, G. L., in Electrochemical Interfaces for Energy Storage and Conversion—Fundamental Insights from Experiments to Computations; Materials Research Society Proceedings 1542, mrss13-1542-g05-11 doi:10.1557/opl.2013.833.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bugayong, J., and Griffin, G. L., in Electrochemical Synthesis of Fuels 2; Zhou, X.D., Mogensen, M.B., Stasser, J.A., Brisard, G., Mustain, W.E., Williams, M.C., eds; Electrochemical Society Transactions Volume 58, Issue 2 (2013).Google Scholar
Hori, Y., Murata, A., and Takahashi, R., J. Chem. Soc., Faraday Trans. 1, 85, 2309 (1989).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hori, Y., Takahashi, I., Koga, O., and Hoshi, N., J. Phys. Chem. B, 106, 15 (2002).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schouten, K. J. P., Qin, Z., .Gallent, E. P., and Koper, M. T. M., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 134(24), 9864 (2012).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peterson, A., Abild-Pederson, F., Studt, F., Rossmeisl, J., and Norskov, J. K., Energy & Environ. Sci. 3 1311 (2010).CrossRefGoogle Scholar