Recent progress in CO2 reduction using bimetallic electrodes containing copper

Dickinson, H. L.A. and Symes, M. D. (2022) Recent progress in CO2 reduction using bimetallic electrodes containing copper. Electrochemistry Communications, 135, 107212. (doi: 10.1016/j.elecom.2022.107212)

Abstract

Rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have precipitated considerable research efforts aimed at generating energy from renewable sources, such that consuming this energy does not lead to further increases in atmospheric CO2. Simultaneously, atmospheric CO2 represents a useful feedstock for the storage of renewably-generated energy, in particular through electroreduction of CO2 powered by renewables to give hydrocarbon fuels that when burned do not increase net CO2 levels in the atmosphere. In order to bring such renewable-powered production of hydrocarbons from CO2 to reality, improved electrocatalysts for carbon dioxide reduction are required. For example, Cu is the only single metal that demonstrates appreciable Faradaic efficiency for CO2 reduction products that are reduced by more than two-electrons, but pure Cu is not an especially active or selective catalyst for this process. Hence there has been considerable interest in making bimetallic catalysts using Cu in combination with other metals in order to find systems that can reduce CO2 to products such as methane, methanol, ethanol and beyond. In this minireview, we give an overview of recent progress in CO2 electroreduction using bimetallic cathodes composed of copper and various other metals in combination, with a particular focus on studies going beyond two-electron reduction products from the last two years.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: The authors thank the EPSRC for funding (EP/R020914/1) and MDS thanks the Royal Society for a University Research Fellowship (UF150104).
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Symes, Professor Mark and Dickinson, Miss Hannah
• Authors: Dickinson, H. L.A., and Symes, M. D.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Chemistry
• Journal Name: Electrochemistry Communications
• Publisher: Elsevier
• ISSN: 1388-2481
• ISSN (Online): 1873-1902
• Published Online: 13 January 2022
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2022 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Electrochemistry Communications 135: 107212
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons licence

Project Code	Award No	Project Name	Principal Investigator	Funder's Name	Funder Ref	Lead Dept
301241		Ultra-Reduced Polyoxometalates as Electron-Coupled-Proton-Systems for Energy Storage	Leroy Cronin	Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)	EP/R020914/1	Chemistry