Local hydrophobicity allows high-performance electrochemical carbon monoxide reduction to C<sub>2+</sub> products
Attila Kormányos, Balázs Endrődi, Zheng Zhang, Angelika A. Samu, László Mérai, Gergely F. Samu, László Janovák, Csaba Janáky
Abstract
current density. As no specific interaction between the polymer and the CO reactant was found, we attribute the stable and selective operation of the electrolyzer cell to the controlled wetting of the catalyst layer due to the homogeneous polymer coating on the catalyst particles' surface. These results indicate that sophistically designed surface modifiers are not necessarily required for CO electrolysis, but a simpler alternative can in some cases lead to the same reaction rate, selectivity and energy efficiency; hence the capital costs can be significantly decreased.
Topics & Concepts
ElectrolysisWettingCatalysisChemical engineeringCarbon monoxideFaraday efficiencyCoatingElectrochemistryPolymerMaterials scienceSelectivityElectrocatalystNanotechnologyChemistryElectrodeOrganic chemistryComposite materialElectrolytePhysical chemistryEngineeringCO2 Reduction Techniques and CatalystsIonic liquids properties and applicationsCarbon dioxide utilization in catalysis