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Synthesis and Performance Characterizations of Transition Metal Single Atom Catalyst for Electrochemical CO2 Reduction
Published on: April 10, 2018
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Graphite-Conjugated Rhenium Catalysts for Carbon Dioxide Reduction
Seokjoon Oh1, James R Gallagher2, Jeffrey T Miller2,3
1Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States.
Journal of the American Chemical Society
|January 26, 2016
Summary
New graphite-conjugated rhenium (GCC-Re) catalysts efficiently convert CO2 to CO. These heterogeneous catalysts show high activity and stability, offering a promising route for carbon dioxide reduction.
Area of Science:
- Electrochemistry
- Materials Science
- Catalysis
Background:
- Developing efficient electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction is crucial for sustainable energy.
- Heterogeneous catalysts offer advantages in separation and reusability over homogeneous systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize novel graphite-conjugated rhenium (GCC-Re) catalysts.
- To evaluate the electrocatalytic performance of GCC-Re for CO2 reduction to CO.
- To investigate the catalytic mechanism and compare it with molecular analogues.
Main Methods:
- Condensation of a rhenium complex onto graphitic carbon surfaces.
- X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) for characterization.
- Electrochemical measurements including cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry.
Main Results:
- Formation of surface-bound Re centers with defined coordination environments.
- GCC-Re catalysts exhibit high activity (>50 mA cm(-2)) and selectivity (>96% Faradaic efficiency) for CO2 reduction.
- GCC-Re demonstrates higher turnover frequencies and numbers than soluble analogues, with a Tafel slope indicating a one-electron transfer mechanism.
Conclusions:
- Graphite-conjugation is an effective strategy for creating well-defined heterogeneous electrocatalysts.
- GCC-Re catalysts are highly active and stable for CO2 reduction.
- This approach enables tunable catalyst design on readily available graphitic supports.
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