Development of electrocatalyst to reduce carbon dioxide

Abstract

The carbon-doped copper oxide is devised as an electrocatalyst to reduce carbon dioxide under ambient pressure and temperature. The electrode was immersed into a KHCO3 aqueous solution with CO2 bubbling. The electric potential was maintained at -1.64 V vs SHE. The electrode prepared at 900 oC gives the maximum production rate of ethylene (25 %), ethanol (6.9 %) and 1-propanol (3.6 %). The production rate of methane, from which is harmful to separate ethylene, was suppressed to one fifteenth of that of ethylene. In contrast to a thermally-oxidized copper-oxide layer, the doped-carbon and a high ratio of Cu2O to CuO in the devised electrocatalyst may result in the higher productivity and selectivity. ©2013 The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers.