Bio-inspired hydrophobicity promotes CO2 reduction on a Cu surface

The aqueous electrocatalytic reduction of CO 2 into alcohol and hydrocarbon fuels presents a sustainable route towards energy-rich chemical feedstocks. Cu is the only material able to catalyse the substantial formation of multicarbon products (C 2 /C 3 ), but competing proton reduction to hydrogen i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature materials 2019-11, Vol.18 (11), p.1222-1227
Main Authors: Wakerley, David, Lamaison, Sarah, Ozanam, François, Menguy, Nicolas, Mercier, Dimitri, Marcus, Philippe, Fontecave, Marc, Mougel, Victor
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
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Biomaterials
Carbon dioxide
Chemical reduction
Chemical Sciences
Chemistry and Materials Science
Condensed Matter Physics
Electrocatalysts
Electrodes
Ethanol
Hydrocarbon fuels
Hydrophobicity
Material chemistry
Materials Science
Nanotechnology
Optical and Electronic Materials
Organic chemistry
Other
Selectivity
Spiders
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Summary:The aqueous electrocatalytic reduction of CO 2 into alcohol and hydrocarbon fuels presents a sustainable route towards energy-rich chemical feedstocks. Cu is the only material able to catalyse the substantial formation of multicarbon products (C 2 /C 3 ), but competing proton reduction to hydrogen is an ever-present drain on selectivity. Here, a superhydrophobic surface was generated by 1-octadecanethiol treatment of hierarchically structured Cu dendrites, inspired by the structure of gas-trapping cuticles on subaquatic spiders. The hydrophobic electrode attained a 56% Faradaic efficiency for ethylene and 17% for ethanol production at neutral pH, compared to 9% and 4% on a hydrophilic, wettable equivalent. These observations are assigned to trapped gases at the hydrophobic Cu surface, which increase the concentration of CO 2 at the electrode–solution interface and consequently increase CO 2 reduction selectivity. Hydrophobicity is thus proposed as a governing factor in CO 2 reduction selectivity and can help explain trends seen on previously reported electrocatalysts. Aqueous electrocatalytic reduction of CO 2 into alcohol and hydrocarbon fuels is a sustainable route towards energy-rich chemical feedstocks. A superhydrophobic surface of hierarchically structured Cu dendrites exhibits a significant increase in CO 2 reduction selectivity.
ISSN:1476-1122
1476-4660
DOI:10.1038/s41563-019-0445-x