g-C₃N₄ Nanosheet Supported CuO Nanocomposites for the Electrochemical Carbon Dioxide Reduction Reaction

Abstract

We have prepared CuO-derived electrocatalysts on a graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4 ) nanosheet support for the electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO 2 RR). Highly monodisperse CuO nanocrystals made by a modified colloidal synthesis method serve as the precatalysts. We use a two-stage thermal treatment to address the active site blockage issues caused by the residual C18 capping agents. The results show that the thermal treatment effectively removed the capping agents and increased the electrochemical surface area. During the process, the residual oleylamine molecules incompletely reduced CuO to a Cu 2 O/Cu mixed phase in the first stage of thermal treatment, and the following treatment in forming gas at 200 °C completed the reduction to metallic Cu. The CuO-derived electrocatalysts show different selectivities over CH 4 and C 2 H 4 , and this might be due to the synergistic effects of Cu-g-C 3 N 4 catalyst−support interaction, varied particle sizes, dominant surface facets, and catalyst ensemble. The two-stage thermal treatment enables sufficient capping agent removal, catalyst phase control, and CO 2 RR product selection, and with precise controls of the experimental parameters, we believe that this will help to design and fabricate g-C 3 N 4 -supported catalyst systems with narrower product distribution.

Co-sensitization of Copper Indium Gallium Disulfide and Indium Sulfide on Zinc Oxide Nanostructures: Effect of Morphology in Electrochemical Carbon Dioxide Reduction

“…Converting carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) into valuable chemicals and fuels has made an impact on reducing our carbon footprint. − However, the high stability of CO 2 for conversion into different chemicals restricts the application. Therefore, the research community has focused on developing materials and systems for efficient CO 2 conversion by reducing the high activation energy of CO 2 . − It is possible to achieve CO 2 reduction via various routes, including photocatalytic and electrochemical conversion. − In this way, besides decreasing carbon emissions, value-added chemicals, such as methanol, hydrogen, formic acid, and syngas, can be produced. − Among these chemicals, formic acid stands out as an alternative to fossil fuels due to its advantages, such as being an energy-intensive material, having a high volumetric hydrogen density, and having enormous potential as an effective hydrogen storage vector . Typically, the most important factor in producing different types of chemicals, from formic acid to carbon monoxide and multicarbon hydrocarbons and oxygenates, is the selectivity of the used catalyst.…”

Enhancement in Sensitivity and Selectivity of Electrochemical Technique with CuO/g-C3N4 Nanocomposite Combined with Molecularly Imprinted Polymer for Melamine Detection

“…Recent studies have shown that g-C3N4 can be combined with other semiconductors, such as Fe3O4 [23,24], CdS [25,26], ZnO [27,28], TiO2 [29], and CuO [30][31][32][33]. This coupling technique aims to enhance the separation efficiency of photogenerated electron/hole pairs, hence improving photocatalytic activity [19,21,22].…”