Influence of Support Material on the Structural Evolution of Copper during Electrochemical CO2 Reduction

Abstract The copper‐catalyzed electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction represents an elegant pathway to reduce CO2 emissions while producing a wide range of valuable hydrocarbons. The selectivity for these products depends strongly on the structure and morphology of the copper catalyst. However, conti...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ezra S. Koh, Dr. Simon Geiger, Alexander Gunnarson, Timo Imhof, Gregor M. Meyer, Dr. Paul Paciok, Prof. Dr. Bastian J. M. Etzold, Prof. Dr. Marcus Rose, Prof. Dr. Ferdi Schüth, Prof. Dr. Marc Ledendecker
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley-VCH 2023-03-01
Series:ChemElectroChem
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/celc.202200924
Description
Summary:Abstract The copper‐catalyzed electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction represents an elegant pathway to reduce CO2 emissions while producing a wide range of valuable hydrocarbons. The selectivity for these products depends strongly on the structure and morphology of the copper catalyst. However, continued deactivation during catalysis alters the obtained product spectrum. In this work, we report on the stabilizing effect of three different carbon supports with unique pore structures. The influence of pore structure on stability and selectivity was examined by high‐angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy and gas chromatography measurements in a micro‐flow cell. Supporting particles into confined space was found to increase the barrier for particle agglomeration during 20 h of chronopotentiometry measurements at 100 mA cm−2 resembling long‐term CO2 reduction conditions. We propose a catalyst design preventing coalescence and agglomeration in harsh electrochemical reaction conditions, exemplarily demonstrated for the electrocatalytic CO2 reduction. With this work, we provide important insights into the design of stable CO2 electrocatalysts that can potentially be applied to a wide range of applications.
ISSN:2196-0216