Cu(ii)/Cu(0) electrocatalyzed CO2 and H2O splitting
- 30 January 2013
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) in Energy & Environmental Science
- Vol. 6 (3), 813-817
- https://doi.org/10.1039/c3ee24487c
Abstract
In an earlier report we showed that in concentrated carbonate/bicarbonate solutions, simple Cu(II) salts are highly reactive as water oxidation electro-catalysts. We report here, based on earlier results in the literature, that Cu(0) films on a boron-doped diamond substrate are active toward CO2 reduction to CO and formate. The current densities are higher by 2.8 fold than a bulk polycrystalline copper electrode due to the enhanced surface area of the electroplated Cu(0) films. When combined, the two half reactions, catalyzed by Cu(II) and Cu(0), provide a basis for the net electrochemical splitting of CO2 into CO/HCOO− and O2 in CO2/HCO3 − buffered aqueous solutions. The resulting electrochemical cell is remarkable for the simple nature of the catalysts, solution conditions, and cell configuration.This publication has 28 references indexed in Scilit:
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