An Integrated CO2 Electrolyzer and Formate Fuel Cell Enabled by a Reversibly Restructuring Pb–Pd Bimetallic Catalyst

A single device combining the functions of a CO₂ electrolyzer and a formate fuel cell is a new option for carbon‐neutral energy storage but entails rapid, reversible and stable interconversion between CO₂ and formate over a single catalyst electrode. We report a new catalyst with such functionalities based on a Pb–Pd alloy system that reversibly restructures its phase, composition, and morphology and thus alters its catalytic properties under controlled electrochemical conditions. Under cathodic conditions, the catalyst is relatively Pb‐rich and is active for CO₂‐to‐formate conversion over a wide potential range; under anodic conditions, it becomes relatively Pd‐rich and gains stable catalytic activity for formate‐to‐CO₂ conversion. The bifunctional activity and superior durability of our Pb–Pd catalyst leads to the first proof‐of‐concept demonstration of an electrochemical cell that can switch between the CO₂ electrolyzer/formate fuel cell modes and can stably operate for 12 days.     

Efficient Electrosynthesis of Syngas with Tunable CO/H2 Ratios over ZnxCd1−xS‐Amine Inorganic–Organic Hybrids

Efficient electrochemical reduction of CO₂ and H₂O into industrial syngas with tunable CO/H₂ ratios, especially integrated with anodic organic synthesis to replace the low‐value oxygen evolution reaction (OER), is highly desirable. Here, integration of controllable partial substitution of zinc (Zn) with amine incorporation into CdS‐amine inorganic‐organic hybrids is used to generate highly efficient electrocatalysts for synthesizing syngas with tunable CO/H₂ ratios (0–19.7), which are important feedstocks for the Fischer–Tropsch process. Diethylenetriamine could enhance the adsorption and accelerate the activation of CO₂ to form the key intermediate COOH* for CO formation. Zn substitution promoted the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), leading to tunable CO/H₂ ratios. Importantly, syngas and dihydroisoquinoline can be simultaneously synthesized by pairing with anodic semi‐oxidation of tetrahydroisoquinoline in a Zn_xCd_1?xS‐Amine ∥ Ni₂P two‐electrode electrolyzer.     

A Precious‐Metal‐Free Hybrid Electrolyzer for Alcohol Oxidation Coupled to CO2‐to‐Syngas Conversion

Electrolyzers combining CO₂ reduction (CO₂R) with organic substrate oxidation can produce fuel and chemical feedstocks with a relatively low energy requirement when compared to systems that source electrons from water oxidation. Here, we report an anodic hybrid assembly based on a (2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidin‐1‐yl)oxyl (TEMPO) electrocatalyst modified with a silatrane‐anchor ( STEMPO ), which is covalently immobilized on a mesoporous indium tin oxide (mesoITO) scaffold for efficient alcohol oxidation (AlcOx). This molecular anode was subsequently combined with a cathode consisting of a polymeric cobalt phthalocyanine on carbon nanotubes to construct a hybrid, precious‐metal‐free coupled AlcOx–CO₂R electrolyzer. After three‐hour electrolysis, glycerol is selectively oxidized to glyceraldehyde with a turnover number (TON) of ≈1000 and Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 83 %. The cathode generated a stoichiometric amount of syngas with a CO:H₂ ratio of 1.25±0.25 and an overall cobalt‐based TON of 894 with a FE of 82 %. This prototype device inspires the design and implementation of nonconventional strategies for coupling CO₂R to less energy demanding, and value‐added, oxidative chemistry.     

Giant Hysteretic Sorption of CO2: In Situ Crystallographic Visualization of Guest Binding within a Breathing Framework at 298 K

A dynamic Zn^II‐MOF has been shown to exhibit extreme breathing behavior under gas pressure. The very narrow pore form of the activated framework opens up in the presence of carbon dioxide, thus making it a suitable material for CO₂ capture. Sorption of CO₂ at 298 K and relatively high pressure clearly shows a two‐step isotherm with giant hysteresis for the second step. In‐situ single‐crystal diffraction analysis was carried out under CO₂ gas pressure at 298 K using an environmental gas cell in order to visualize the interaction between CO₂ and the host framework. The results are well supported by pressure‐gradient differential scanning calorimetry (P‐DSC) and variable‐pressure powder X‐ray analysis. Theoretical calculations have been carried out in order to further back up the crystallographic data.     

Metal‐Free Reduction of CO2 with Hydroboranes: Two Efficient Pathways at Play for the Reduction of CO2 to Methanol

Guanidines and amidines prove to be highly efficient metal‐free catalysts for the reduction of CO₂ to methanol with hydroboranes such as 9‐borabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane (9‐BBN) and catecholborane (catBH). Nitrogen bases, such as 1,5,7‐triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec‐5‐ene (TBD), 7‐methyl‐1,5,7‐triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec‐5‐ene (Me‐TBD), and 1,8‐diazabicycloundec‐7‐ene (DBU), are active catalysts for this transformation and Me‐TBD can catalyze the reduction of CO₂ to methoxyborane at room temperature with TONs and TOFs of up to 648 and 33 h^?1 (25 °C), respectively. Formate HCOOBR₂ and acetal H₂C(OBR₂)₂ derivatives have been identified as reaction intermediates in the reduction of CO₂ with R₂BH, and the first C?H‐bond formation is rate determining. Experimental and computational investigations show that TBD and Me‐TBD follow distinct mechanisms. The N?H bond of TBD is reactive toward dehydrocoupling with 9‐BBN and affords a novel frustrated Lewis pair (FLP) that can activate a CO₂ molecule and form the stable adduct 2 , which is the catalytically active species and can facilitate the hydride transfer from the boron to the carbon atoms. In contrast, Me‐TBD promotes the reduction of CO₂ through the activation of the hydroborane reagent. Detailed DFT calculations have shown that the computed energy barriers for the two mechanisms are consistent with the experimental findings and account for the reactivity of the different boron reductants.     

Studies on Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction over NH2‐Uio‐66(Zr) and Its Derivatives: Towards a Better Understanding of Photocatalysis on Metal–Organic Frameworks

Metal–organic framework (MOF) NH₂‐Uio‐66(Zr) exhibits photocatalytic activity for CO₂ reduction in the presence of triethanolamine as sacrificial agent under visible‐light irradiation. Photoinduced electron transfer from the excited 2‐aminoterephthalate (ATA) to Zr oxo clusters in NH₂‐Uio‐66(Zr) was for the first time revealed by photoluminescence studies. Generation of Zr^III and its involvement in photocatalytic CO₂ reduction was confirmed by ESR analysis. Moreover, NH₂‐Uio‐66(Zr) with mixed ATA and 2,5‐diaminoterephthalate (DTA) ligands was prepared and shown to exhibit higher performance for photocatalytic CO₂ reduction due to its enhanced light adsorption and increased adsorption of CO₂. This study provides a better understanding of photocatalytic CO₂ reduction over MOF‐based photocatalysts and also demonstrates the great potential of using MOFs as highly stable, molecularly tunable, and recyclable photocatalysts in CO₂ reduction.     

Elucidating the Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction Reaction over a Model Single‐Atom Nickel Catalyst

Designing effective electrocatalysts for the carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO₂RR) is an appealing approach to tackling the challenges posed by rising CO₂ levels and realizing a closed carbon cycle. However, fundamental understanding of the complicated CO₂RR mechanism in CO₂ electrocatalysis is still lacking because model systems are limited. We have designed a model nickel single‐atom catalyst (Ni SAC) with a uniform structure and well‐defined Ni‐N₄ moiety on a conductive carbon support with which to explore the electrochemical CO₂RR. Operando X‐ray absorption near‐edge structure spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and near‐ambient X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, revealed that Ni⁺ in the Ni SAC was highly active for CO₂ activation, and functioned as an authentic catalytically active site for the CO₂RR. Furthermore, through combination with a kinetics study, the rate‐determining step of the CO₂RR was determined to be *CO₂^?+H⁺→*COOH. This study tackles the four challenges faced by the CO₂RR; namely, activity, selectivity, stability, and dynamics.     

Bipyridine‐Assisted Assembly of Au Nanoparticles on Cu Nanowires To Enhance the Electrochemical Reduction of CO2

We report a new strategy to prepare a composite catalyst for highly efficient electrochemical CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR). The composite catalyst is made by anchoring Au nanoparticles on Cu nanowires via 4,4′‐bipyridine (bipy). The Au‐bipy‐Cu composite catalyzes the CO₂RR in 0.1 m KHCO₃ with a total Faradaic efficiency (FE) reaching 90.6 % at ?0.9 V to provide C‐products, among which CH₃CHO (25 % FE) dominates the liquid product (HCOO^?, CH₃CHO, and CH₃COO^?) distribution (75 %). The enhanced CO₂RR catalysis demonstrated by Au‐bipy‐Cu originates from its synergistic Au (CO₂ to CO) and Cu (CO to C‐products) catalysis which is further promoted by bipy. The Au‐bipy‐Cu composite represents a new catalyst system for effective CO₂RR conversion to C‐products.     

Ag+-Doped InSe Nanosheets for Membrane Electrode Assembly Electrolyzer toward Large-Current Electroreduction of CO2 to Ethanol

It is an appealing approach to CO₂ utilization through CO₂ electroreduction (CO₂ER) to ethanol at high current density; however, the commonly used Cu-based catalysts cannot sustain large current during CO₂ER despite their capability for ethanol production. Herein, we report that Ag⁺-doped InSe nanosheets with Se vacancies can address this grand challenge in a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) electrolyzer. As revealed by our experimental characterization and theoretical calculation, the Ag⁺ doping, which can tailor the electronic structure of InSe while diversifying catalytically active sites, enables the formation of key reaction intermediates and their sequential evolution into ethanol. More importantly, such a material can well work for large-current conditions in MEA electrolyzers with In²⁺ species stabilized via electron transfer from Ag to Se. Remarkably, in an MEA electrolyzer by coupling cathodic CO₂ER with anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER), the optimal catalyst exhibits an ethanol Faradaic efficiency of 68.7 % and a partial current density of 186.6 mA cm⁻² on the cathode with a full-cell ethanol energy efficiency of 26.1 % at 3.0 V. This work opens an avenue for large-current production of ethanol from CO₂ with high selectivity and energy efficiency by rationally designing electrocatalysts.     

The Functionality of Surface Hydroxy Groups on the Selectivity and Activity of Carbon Dioxide Reduction over Cuprous Oxide in Aqueous Solutions

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) reduction in aqueous solutions is an attractive strategy for carbon capture and utilization. Cuprous oxide (Cu₂O) is a promising catalyst for CO₂ reduction as it can convert CO₂ into valuable hydrocarbons and suppress the side hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, the nature of the active sites in Cu₂O remains under debate because of the complex surface structure of Cu₂O under reducing conditions, leading to limited guidance in designing improved Cu₂O catalysts. This paper describes the functionality of surface‐bonded hydroxy groups on partially reduced Cu₂O(111) for the CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR) by combined density functional theory (DFT) calculations and experimental studies. We find that the surface hydroxy groups play a crucial role in the CO₂RR and HER, and a moderate coverage of hydroxy groups is optimal for promotion of the CO₂RR and suppression of the HER simultaneously. Electronic structure analysis indicates that the charge transfer from hydroxy groups to coordination‐unsaturated Cu (Cu_CUS) sites stabilizes surface‐adsorbed COOH*, which is a key intermediate during the CO₂RR. Moreover, the CO₂RR was evaluated over Cu₂O octahedral catalysts with {111} facets and different surface coverages of hydroxy groups, which demonstrates that Cu₂O octahedra with moderate coverage of hydroxy groups can indeed enhance the CO₂RR and suppress the HER.     

Activating a Low Overpotential CO2 Reduction Mechanism by a Strategic Ligand Modification on a Ruthenium Polypyridyl Catalyst

The introduction of a simple methyl substituent on the bipyridine ligand of [Ru(tBu₃tpy)(bpy)(NCCH₃)]²⁺ (tBu₃tpy=4,4′,4′′‐tri‐tert‐butyl‐2,2′:6′,2′′‐terpyridine; bpy=2,2′‐bipyridine) gives rise to a highly active electrocatalyst for the reduction of CO₂ to CO. The methyl group enables CO₂ binding already at the one‐electron reduced state of the complex to enter a previously not accessible catalytic cycle that operates at the potential of the first reduction. The complex turns over with a Faradaic efficiency close to unity and at an overpotential that is amongst the lowest ever reported for homogenous CO₂ reduction catalysts.     

Hard‐Sphere Random Close‐Packed Au47Cd2(TBBT)31 Nanoclusters with a Faradaic Efficiency of Up to 96 % for Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction to CO

Metal nanoclusters have recently attracted considerable attention, not only because of their special size range but also because of their well‐defined compositions and structures. However, subtly tailoring the compositions and structures of metal nanoclusters for potential applications remains challenging. Now, a two‐phase anti‐galvanic reduction (AGR) method is presented for precisely tailoring Au₄₄(TBBT)₂₈ to produce Au₄₇Cd₂(TBBT)₃₁ nanoclusters with a hard‐sphere random close‐packed structure, exhibiting Faradaic efficiencies of up to 96 % at ?0.57 V for the electrocatalytic reduction of CO₂ to CO.     

Carbamate Stabilities of Sterically Hindered Amines from Quantum Chemical Methods: Relevance for CO2 Capture

The influence of electronic and steric effects on the stabilities of carbamates formed from the reaction of CO₂ with a wide range of alkanolamines was investigated by quantum chemical methods. For the calculations, B3LYP, M11‐L, MP2, and spin‐component‐scaled MP2 (SCS‐MP2) methods were used, coupled with SMD and SM8 solvation models. A reduction in carbamate stability leads to an increased CO₂ absorption capacity of the amine and a reduction of the energy required for solvent regeneration. Important factors for the reduction of the carbamate stability were an increase in steric hindrance around the nitrogen atom, charge on the N atom and intramolecular hydrogen bond strength. The present study indicates that secondary ethanolamines with sterically hindering groups near the N atom show significant potential as candidates for industrial CO₂‐capture solvents.     

CO2 Overall Splitting by a Bifunctional Metal‐Free Electrocatalyst

Photo/electrochemical CO₂ splitting is impeded by the low cost‐effective catalysts for key reactions: CO₂ reduction (CDRR) and water oxidation. A porous silicon and nitrogen co‐doped carbon (SiNC) nanomaterial by a facile pyrolyzation was developed as a metal‐free bifunctional electrocatalyst. CO₂‐to‐CO and oxygen evolution (OER) partial current density under neutral conditions were enhanced by two orders of magnitude in the Tafel regime on SiNC relative to single‐doped comparisons beyond their specific area gap. The photovoltaic‐driven CO₂ splitting device with SiNC electrodes imitating photosynthesis yielded an overall solar‐to‐chemical efficiency of advanced 12.5 % (by multiplying energy efficiency of CO₂ splitting cell and photovoltaic device) at only 650 mV overpotential. Mechanism studies suggested the elastic electron structure of ?Si(O)?C?N? unit in SiNC as the highly active site for CDRR and OER simultaneously by lowering the free energy of CDRR and OER intermediates adsorption.     

MoP Nanoparticles Supported on Indium‐Doped Porous Carbon: Outstanding Catalysts for Highly Efficient CO2 Electroreduction

Electrochemical reduction of CO₂ into value‐added product is an interesting area. MoP nanoparticles supported on porous carbon were synthesized using metal–organic frameworks as the carbon precursor, and initial work on CO₂ electroreduction using the MoP‐based catalyst were carried out. It was discovered that MoP nanoparticles supported on In‐doped porous carbon had outstanding performance for CO₂ reduction to formic acid. The Faradaic efficiency and current density could reach 96.5 % and 43.8 mA cm^?2, respectively, when using ionic liquid 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate as the supporting electrolyte. The current density is higher than those reported up to date with very high Faradaic efficiency. The MoP nanoparticles and the doped In₂O₃ cooperated very well in catalyzing the CO₂ electroreduction.     

Rapid Selective Electrocatalytic Reduction of Carbon Dioxide to Formate by an Iridium Pincer Catalyst Immobilized on Carbon Nanotube Electrodes

An iridium pincer dihydride catalyst was immobilized on carbon nanotube‐coated gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs) by using a non‐covalent binding strategy. The as‐prepared GDEs are efficient, selective, durable, gas permeable electrodes for electrocatalytic reduction of CO₂ to formate. High turnover numbers (ca. 54 000) and turnover frequencies (ca. 15 s^?1) were enabled by the novel electrode architecture in aqueous solutions saturated in CO₂ with added HCO₃^?.     

红外光谱电化学研究金电极表面上CO2的还原

以碳酸丙烯酯(PrC)为溶剂,高氯酸四丁基胺(TBAP)为电解质,利用电化学及红外光谱电化学开展了金电极上二氧化碳的还原研究。运用现场红外光谱跟踪电化学还原过程反应物及产物的生成和消失。红外光谱电化学循环伏吸法表明,在消耗CO2的同时,金电极上有CO的产生,且伴随有碳酸根的形成。结合电化学和光谱电化学结果,提出了一种电还原机理:在非水介质中,CO2电还原过程中生成了中间体CO2.-,随后CO2.-分别以两个途径进行还原,其一是直接被还原成CO,其二是与CO2结合生成C2O4.-而后歧化成CO以及CO32-。两个反应同时进行,且第一个反应是可逆过程。     

Highly selective multilayer polymer thin films for CO2/N2 separation

Multilayer thin films of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA), deposited via layer‐by‐layer (LbL) assembly from aqueous solutions, are investigated for CO₂/N₂ separation. Eight and ten bilayer (217 and 389 nm thick, respectively) PEO/PMAA thin films deposited on a 25 μm polystyrene substrate exhibit CO₂/N₂ selectivities of 142 and 136, respectively. These are the highest reported to‐date for this gas pair separation using a homogeneous polymer film. While further work remains to improve CO₂ permeability, these results indicate the potential of LbL assemblies as standalone CO₂ separation membranes for low‐flux/high‐purity applications, or as part of a composite and/or mixed‐matrix membrane for high‐flux applications. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2017 , 55, 1730–1737     

Concomitant Carboxylate and Oxalate Formation From the Activation of CO2 by a Thorium(III) Complex

Improving our comprehension of diverse CO₂ activation pathways is of vital importance for the widespread future utilization of this abundant greenhouse gas. CO₂ activation by uranium(III) complexes is now relatively well understood, with oxo/carbonate formation predominating as CO₂ is readily reduced to CO, but isolated thorium(III) CO₂ activation is unprecedented. We show that the thorium(III) complex, [Th(Cp′′)₃] ( 1 , Cp′′={C₅H₃(SiMe₃)₂‐1,3}), reacts with CO₂ to give the mixed oxalate‐carboxylate thorium(IV) complex [{Th(Cp′′)₂[κ²‐O₂C{C₅H₃‐3,3′‐(SiMe₃)₂}]}₂(μ‐κ²:κ²‐C₂O₄)] ( 3 ). The concomitant formation of oxalate and carboxylate is unique for CO₂ activation, as in previous examples either reduction or insertion is favored to yield a single product. Therefore, thorium(III) CO₂ activation can differ from better understood uranium(III) chemistry.     

Pulsed‐EPR Evidence of a Manganese(II) Hydroxycarbonyl Intermediate in the Electrocatalytic Reduction of Carbon Dioxide by a Manganese Bipyridyl Derivative

A key intermediate in the electroconversion of carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide, catalyzed by a manganese tris(carbonyl) complex, is characterized. Different catalytic pathways and their potential reaction mechanisms are investigated using a large range of experimental and computational techniques. Sophisticated spectroscopic methods including UV/Vis absorption and pulsed‐EPR techniques (2P‐ESEEM and HYSCORE) were combined together with DFT calculations to successfully identify a key intermediate in the catalytic cycle of CO₂ reduction. The results directly show the formation of a metal–carboxylic acid–CO₂ adduct after oxidative addition of CO₂ and H⁺ to a Mn⁰ carbonyl dimer, an unexpected intermediate.