Parameter Dependency of Electrochemical Reduction of CO in Acetonitrile - A Data Driven Approach.

The electrochemical CO reduction reaction (CORR) is a promising technology for the utilization of captured CO. Though systems using aqueous electrolytes is the state-of-the-art, CORR in aprotic solvents are a promising alternative that can avoid the parallel hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). While system parameters, such as electrolyte composition, electrode material, and applied potential are known to influence the reaction mechanism, there is a lack of intuitive understanding as to how.

The Effect of the Tetraalkylammonium Cation in the Electrochemical CO Reduction Reaction on Copper Electrode.

Aprotic organic solvents such as acetonitrile offer a potential solution to promote electrochemical CO reduction over the competing hydrogen evolution reaction. Tetraalkylammonium cations (TAA) are widely used as supporting electrolytes in organic media due to their high solubility and conductivity. The alkyl chain length of TAA cations is known to influence electron transfer processes in electrochemical systems by the adsorption of TAA, causing modifications of the double layer.

The Effect of Salts on the CO Reduction Product Distribution in an Aprotic Electrolyte.

Electrochemical CO reduction in non-aqueous solvents is promising due to the increased CO solubility of organic-based electrolytes compared to aqueous electrolytes. Here the effect of nine different salts in propylene carbonate (PC) on the CO reduction product distribution of polycrystalline Cu is investigated. Three different cations (tetraethylammonium (TEA), tetrabutylammonium (TBA), and tetrahexylammonium (THA)) and three different anions (chloride (Cl), tetrafluoroborate (BF), and hexafluorophosphate (PF)) were used.

Solvent Effect on Electrochemical CO Reduction Reaction on Nanostructured Copper Electrodes.

The electrochemical reduction of CO (CORR) is a sustainable alternative for producing fuels and chemicals, although the production of highly desired hydrocarbons is still a challenge due to the higher overpotential requirement in combination with the competitive hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Tailoring the electrolyte composition is a possible strategy to favor the CORR over the HER. In this work we studied the solvent effect on the CORR on a nanostructured Cu electrode in acetonitrile solvent with different amounts of water.