The Selective Electrochemical Conversion of Preactivated CO 2 to Methane

Abstract

© 2015 The Electrochemical Society. This work reports the selective electrochemical conversion of CO 2 to methane, the reverse reaction of fossil fuel combustion. This reaction is facilitated by preactivation of the CO 2 molecule with an N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) to form a zwitterionic species in the first step. In the presence of Ni(cyclam) 2+ and CF 3 CH 2 OH, this species is shown to undergo further electrochemical reduction of the bound-CO 2 fragment at glassy carbon cathodes in dichloromethane electrolyte solution. Labeling studies confirm the origin of the carbon and protons in the methane product are the preactivated CO 2 and trifluoroethanol respectively.