Modified carbon fiber electrodes for carbon dioxide reduction

Abstract

Carbon dioxide was reduced by the surface modified carbon fiber electrodes impregnated with indium to form formic acid which is expected to be available for the chemiluminescent application. The PAN (polyacrylonitrile) based carbon fiber (800°C pre-heated) was baked with aluminum chloride and water in nitrogen atmosphere oven to introduce oxygen atoms and to increase the degree of crystallization, which results in the improvement in hydrogen overvolt-age and some electrochemical reactivities. Indium was electrodeposited to the surface modified carbon fibers for the working electrode. The current efficiency of carbon dioxide conversion to formic acid was close to 100%, and trace of by-products such as folmaldehyde and carbon monooxide were detected under the optimum electrochemical conditions. The cell technologies of flow coulometric detectors and redox flow batteries were applied to the design of the electrolytic cells for carbon dioxide reduction.