Jeremy T. Feaster, C. Shi, Etosha R. Cave
Jun 22, 2017
Citations
3
Influential Citations
508
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Journal
ACS Catalysis
Abstract
Increases in energy demand and in chemical production, together with the rise in CO2 levels in the atmosphere, motivate the development of renewable energy sources. Electrochemical CO2 reduction to fuels and chemicals is an appealing alternative to traditional pathways to fuels and chemicals due to its intrinsic ability to couple to solar and wind energy sources. Formate (HCOO–) is a key chemical for many industries; however, greater understanding is needed regarding the mechanism and key intermediates for HCOO– production. This work reports a joint experimental and theoretical investigation of the electrochemical reduction of CO2 to HCOO– on polycrystalline Sn surfaces, which have been identified as promising catalysts for selectively producing HCOO–. Our results show that Sn electrodes produce HCOO–, carbon monoxide (CO), and hydrogen (H2) across a range of potentials and that HCOO– production becomes favored at potentials more negative than −0.8 V vs RHE, reaching a maximum Faradaic efficiency of 70% a...