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Updated: Feb 28, 2026

Synthesis and Performance Characterizations of Transition Metal Single Atom Catalyst for Electrochemical CO2 Reduction
Published on: April 10, 2018
Unique copper and reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite toward the efficient electrochemical reduction of carbon
M Nur Hossain1, Jiali Wen1, Aicheng Chen2
1Department of Chemistry, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1, Canada.
Abstract:
The electrochemical reduction of CO2 to useful chemicals and fuels has garnered a keen and broad interest. Herein, we report a unique nanocomposite consisting of Cu nanoparticles (NPs) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) supported on a Cu substrate with a high catalytic activity for CO2 reduction. The nanocomposite was optimized in terms of the composition of Cu NPs and rGO as well as the overall amount. A gas chromatograph was employed to analyze the gaseous products, whereas a chemical oxygen demand (COD) method was proposed and utilized to quantify the overall liquid products. The optimized nanocomposite could effectively reduce CO2 to CO, HCOOH and CH4 with a Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 76.6% at -0.4 V (vs. RHE) in a CO2 saturated NaHCO3 solution. The remarkable catalytic activity, high FE, and excellent stability make this Cu-rGO nanocomposite promising for the electrochemical reduction of CO2 to value-added products to address the pressing environmental and energy challenges.
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