Issue 23, 2020

Thermodynamically driven self-formation of copper-embedded nitrogen-doped carbon nanofiber catalysts for a cascade electroreduction of carbon dioxide to ethylene

Abstract

Electrocatalysts for CO2 electroreduction require not only high-performance active materials to control the series reaction but also conductive and durable supports to ensure long-term stability under harsh operating conditions. Instead of conventional heterogeneous catalysts made by attaching metal on supports, we manufactured a self-formed tandem catalyst designed for a cascade electroreduction of CO2 to C2H4. Using oxygen partial pressure-controlled calcination, electrospun copper acetate/polyacrylonitrile nanofibers were successfully transformed into porous carbon nanofibers consisting of doped N and metallic Cu particles. Doped nitrogen atoms adjacent to Cu atoms trigger the reaction by increasing the amount of CO* on the Cu surfaces, which lowers the energy required for CO dimerization that is used for C2H4 production. The Cu-embedded N-doped carbon nanofibers exhibit a C2H4 faradaic efficiency of 62% at a potential of −0.57 V vs. RHE with high current density of 600 mA cm−2 and excellent long-term stability. DFT calculations suggest that the lowered overpotential originates from the decreased CO dimerization energy barrier due to the doped N triggering CO production around the Cu particles.

Graphical abstract: Thermodynamically driven self-formation of copper-embedded nitrogen-doped carbon nanofiber catalysts for a cascade electroreduction of carbon dioxide to ethylene

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
25 Mar 2020
Accepted
26 May 2020
First published
27 May 2020

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2020,8, 11632-11641

Thermodynamically driven self-formation of copper-embedded nitrogen-doped carbon nanofiber catalysts for a cascade electroreduction of carbon dioxide to ethylene

J. Lee, J. Kim, W. Joo, D. Hong, S. Oh, B. Kim, G. Lee, M. Kim, J. Oh and Y. Joo, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2020, 8, 11632 DOI: 10.1039/D0TA03322G

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