Copper-tin alloys for the electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 in an imidazolium-based non-aqueous electrolyte

Robert L. Sacci; Stephanie Velardo; Lu Xiong; Daniel A. Lutterman; Joel Rosenthal

doi:10.3390/en12163132

Copper-tin alloys for the electrocatalytic reduction of CO₂ in an imidazolium-based non-aqueous electrolyte

Robert L. Sacci, Stephanie Velardo, Lu Xiong, Daniel A. Lutterman, Joel Rosenthal

Energy Storage & Conversion

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

18 Scopus citations

Abstract

The ability to synthesize value-added chemicals directly from CO₂ will be an important technological advancement for future generations. Using solar energy to drive thermodynamically uphill electrochemical reactions allows for near carbon-neutral processes that can convert CO₂ into energy-rich carbon-based fuels. Here, we report on the use of inexpensive CuSn alloys to convert CO₂ into CO in an acetonitrile/imidazolium-based electrolyte. Synergistic interactions between the CuSn catalyst and the imidazolium cation enables the electrocatalytic conversion of CO₂ into CO at −1.65 V versus the standard calomel electrode (SCE). This catalyst system is characterized by overpotentials for CO₂ reduction that are similar to more expensive Au- and Ag-based catalysts, and also shows that the efficacy of the CO₂ reduction reaction can be tuned by varying the CuSn ratio.

Original language	English
Article number	en12163132
Journal	Energies
Volume	12
Issue number	16
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/en12163132
State	Published - Aug 15 2019

Funding

Funding: The experiments and authors were supported as part of the Fluid Interface Reactions, Structures and Transport (FIRST) Center, an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences (BES-DOE). Acknowledgments: The experiments and authors were supported as part of the Fluid Interface Reactions, Structures and Transport (FIRST) Center, an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences (BES-DOE). This manuscript has been authored by UT-Battelle, LLC under Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the U.S. Department of Energy. The United States Government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the United States Government retains a non-exclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, world-wide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for United States Government purposes. The Department of Energy will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan (http://energy.gov/downloads/doe-public-access-plan).

Funders	Funder number
U.S. Department of Energy
Basic Energy Sciences
BES-DOE
Office of Science
U.S. Department of Energy
BES-DOE	DE-AC05-00OR22725
Basic Energy Sciences
Office of Science

Keywords

CO electroreduction
Electrocatalysis
Electrodeposition
Non-aqueous electrolytes

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.3390/en12163132

Cite this

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abstract = "The ability to synthesize value-added chemicals directly from CO2 will be an important technological advancement for future generations. Using solar energy to drive thermodynamically uphill electrochemical reactions allows for near carbon-neutral processes that can convert CO2 into energy-rich carbon-based fuels. Here, we report on the use of inexpensive CuSn alloys to convert CO2 into CO in an acetonitrile/imidazolium-based electrolyte. Synergistic interactions between the CuSn catalyst and the imidazolium cation enables the electrocatalytic conversion of CO2 into CO at −1.65 V versus the standard calomel electrode (SCE). This catalyst system is characterized by overpotentials for CO2 reduction that are similar to more expensive Au- and Ag-based catalysts, and also shows that the efficacy of the CO2 reduction reaction can be tuned by varying the CuSn ratio.",

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AU - Rosenthal, Joel

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