Effect of the Micro-crystallite Structures of Cu-Sn and Cu-Zn Alloys on Electroreduction of CO 2

Abstract

Electrodes of Cu-Sn and Cu-Zn alloys or the elemental metals were prepared on gold flag electrodes with controlling the alloy compounds Relationship of the current efficiency for the reduction productes from CO2, to the reduction potential on Cu-Sn alloy electrode, prepared from pyrophosphate bath and cyanide bath, were measured. Further, the effects of Cu-Sn and Cu-Zn alloys (both prepared from the cyanide bath) compositions on the current efficiencies for CO and HCOOH were examined X-ray diffraction analyses showed that the difference in the catalytic behavior could be attributed to the differences in the microcrystallite structure of the alloys. The gross composition of alloys was not important but the combination of alloy components and the composition of the micro-crystallines were most important.