Present work studies the effect of synthesized Zinc (Zn) electrocatalyst towards reduction of CO 2 to products electrochemically (RCPE) using Cobalt oxide (Co 3 O 4 ) for water oxidation. Zn catalyst was prepared using electrodeposition method of zinc chloride dihydrate (ZnCl 2 .2H 2 O) solution. The synthesized electrocatalyst was characterized by XRD, FTIR and particle size analysis, which confirms the formation of Zn particles. Electrodes were prepared by depositing synthesized Zn and Co 3 O 4 on graphite plates and used as cathode and anode, respectively. The effects of applied voltage with time for RCPE were studied in carbonates and bicarbonates of sodium and potassium electrolytes. Ultra-fast liquid chromatography (UFLC) was used for the detection of end products from RCPE. However, HCOOH was the only product formed at all applied conditions. Maximum efficiencies were observed in bicarbonates than carbonates. In KHCO 3 electrolyte solution at 1.5 V, maximum Faradaic efficiencies of 78.54 % and 78.46 % for HCOOH were obtained at 5 and 10 min reaction. Similarly, in NaHCO 3 solution efficiencies of 60.5% and 64.7 % for 5 min and 10 min duration were obtained at 2.5 V. Ability of synthesized electrocatalyst towards RCPE was explained for all the applied conditions in detail.3 gases were emitted with CO 2 as major emission. This increases the CO 2 concentrations in atmosphere drastically from past few decades, which is the main cause for global warming effect. 1 In order to reduce these concentrations different techniques like photochemical 2 , electrochemical 3-6 , chemical 7 , biochemical 7 and radiochemical 7 were used and reported well.However, reduction of CO 2 electrochemically (RCPE) is considered as one of the promising methods for the elimination and conversion of atmospheric CO 2 to products. [8][9][10] Researchers are working on the RCPE for past few decades, mainly on electrocatalyst and its effect in different electrolytes. 3,11 Operating conditions and type of electrocatalyst plays a major role on the efficiency of RCPE and product selectivity. Electrocatalysts like Ag, Sn, and Au were used as electrodes for the reduction of CO 2 and various products including CO, HCOOH, H 2 and some liquid products were formed. 3 Electrolytes play a major role in RCPE, and their effects on reduction of CO 2 to carbon monoxide, oxalic acid, formic acid were reported. 12 Moreover, copper is accepted a suitable electrocatalyst in reducing CO 2 to hydrocarbons by several studies. 13 Ohya et al studied the effect of RCPE in methanol based electrolytes to evaluate the performance of copper oxides electrocatalyst. 14 Brito et al. reported the effect of photochemical reduction of CO 2 dissolved in carbonate electrolytes at Cu/Cu 2 O electrocatalyst and reported the formation of methanol and ethanol as products. 15 The reduction of CO 2 on copper electrode was studied and 16 different reaction products were reported. Out of these, methane and ethylene were identified with high efficiencies of current and remaining 14 pro...
This work discusses the electrocatalytic effect of cobalt oxide (Co 3 O 4 ) as an anode in reduction of CO 2 to products electrochemically (RCPE) on cuprous oxide (Cu 2 O). Powders of Cu 2 O and Co 3 O 4 were synthesized from nitrates of their respective salts by the electrodeposition method. RCPE was studied using CO 2 dissolved in 0.5 M KHCO 3 solution at different applied voltages (1.5−3.5 V) and time intervals of 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 min. CO 2 was reduced to different products, such as formic acid, formaldehyde, propanol, acetic acid, methanol, and ethanol, as major products in the presence of synthesized electrocatalysts. Ethanol was produced as the main reduced product from CO 2 with high Faradaic efficiencies at different applied voltages. At 1.5 and 2 V, maximum Faradaic efficiencies of 76.31 and 96.15% for ethanol were obtained in 5 min of reaction. This study reveals the capability of synthesizing electrocatalysts and its application toward reduction of CO 2 to ethanol with high Faradaic efficiency.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.