Publication

The role of malachite nanorods for the electrochemical reduction of CO2 to C-2 hydrocarbons

Abstract

The electrochemical reduction of CO2 to higher hydrocarbons is a very challenging process that has high potential for the storage of large amounts of renewable energy with a high gravimetric and volumetric energy density. The distribution of hydrocarbons from the electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 is primarily determined by the interaction of the cathode material with the CO2 in the electrolyte. While the research on the electrochemical CO2 reduction focuses on the cathode metal and surface structure of the metals, recently evidence was found that the metal itself may not be the active species but rather the product formed from the metal and CO2. In this paper, we report about the synthesis, catalytic activity and selectivity of nanostructured metal carbonate, i.e. malachite, as a highly active catalyst for the electrochemical synthesis of C2 hydrocarbons. These first results obtained on Cu-2(OH)(2)CO3 nanorod-structured "trees" show that carbonate, not the pure metal, is the active catalytic species. This new catalyst favors the production of ethylene (C2H4) and ethane (C2H6) with significantly higher Faradaic efficiency than that of the pure Cu surface. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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Related concepts (35)
Hydrocarbon
In organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. Hydrocarbons are examples of group 14 hydrides. Hydrocarbons are generally colourless and hydrophobic; their odor is usually faint, and may be similar to that of gasoline or lighter fluid. They occur in a diverse range of molecular structures and phases: they can be gases (such as methane and propane), liquids (such as hexane and benzene), low melting solids (such as paraffin wax and naphthalene) or polymers (such as polyethylene and polystyrene).
Metal
A metal (from Ancient Greek μέταλλον métallon 'mine, quarry, metal') is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typically ductile (can be drawn into wires) and malleable (they can be hammered into thin sheets). These properties are the result of the metallic bond between the atoms or molecules of the metal. A metal may be a chemical element such as iron; an alloy such as stainless steel; or a molecular compound such as polymeric sulfur nitride.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
A polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) is a class of organic compounds that is composed of multiple aromatic rings. The simplest representative is naphthalene, having two aromatic rings and the three-ring compounds anthracene and phenanthrene. PAHs are uncharged, non-polar and planar. Many are colorless. Many of them are found in coal and in oil deposits, and are also produced by the incomplete combustion of organic matter—for example, in engines and incinerators or when biomass burns in forest fires.
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