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Updated: Oct 29, 2025

Synthesis and Performance Characterizations of Transition Metal Single Atom Catalyst for Electrochemical CO2 Reduction
Published on: April 10, 2018
Electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction in ionic liquids at high pressure
Liam M Welch1, Meera Vijayaraghavan1, Francesca Greenwell1
1Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK. Js1@liverpool.ac.uk jsatherley@xtra.co.nz acowan@liverpool.ac.uk and Stephenson Institute for Renewable Energy, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
Abstract:
Imidazolium ionic liquids are potentially useful solvents for both carbon dioxide reduction conversion and capture. In particular electrocatalytic CO2 reduction has been shown to occur at low overpotentials using a 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate ([EMIM][OTf]) and water mixed solvent. A limitation of such solvent systems is their viscosity, making it hard to maintain reasonable catalytic current densities without energy intensive stirring/agitation of the electrolyte. Here we explore the electrochemical reduction of CO2 at high pressures (0.1 to 5.1 MPa) and demonstrate a correlation between the volume of expansion of the ionic liquid and the achieved catalytic current density. The improved electrocatalytic behaviour is proposed to be due to both the increased bulk CO2 concentration and the improved mass transport properties of the gas-expanded ionic liquid. These initial studies at pressure represent a step towards realising an integrated CO2 capture and utilisation system based around a common ionic liquid.
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