Enhanced formation of >C1 Products in Electroreduction of CO2 by Adding a CO2 Adsorption Component to a Gas-Diffusion Layer-Type Catalytic Electrode

Abstract

The addition of a CO₂ -adsorption component (substituted imidazolate-based SIM-1 crystals) to a gas-diffusion layer-type catalytic electrode enhances the activity and especially the selectivity towards >C1 carbon chain products (ethanol, acetone, and isopropanol) of a Pt-based electrocatalyst that is not able to form products of CO₂ reduction involving C-C bond formation under conventional (liquid-phase) conditions. This indicates that the increase of the effective CO₂ concentration at the electrode active surface is the factor controlling the formation of >C1 products rather than only the intrinsic properties of the electrocatalyst.

Keywords: CO2 conversion; alcohols; electrocatalysis; metal-organic frameworks; platinum.