Electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction with an immobilized iron complex on gas diffusion electrodes

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Catalysis

Background:

• Molecular electrocatalysts offer tunable selectivity for CO2 reduction.
• Solution-phase catalysis suffers from mass transport limitations.
• Gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs) are promising platforms for electrocatalytic reactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To immobilize the molecular FeTDHPP catalyst onto a GDE.
• To investigate the effect of immobilization on catalytic activity for CO2 reduction.
• To overcome mass transport limitations in CO2 electroreduction.

Main Methods:

• Supramolecular chemistry for catalyst immobilization.
• Fabrication of catalyst-modified GDEs.
• Electrochemical characterization of CO2 reduction performance.

Main Results:

• Successful immobilization of FeTDHPP onto a GDE via π-π interactions.
• Achieved a 50-fold increase in catalytic activity compared to solution-phase conditions.
• Demonstrated enhanced mass transport and catalytic efficiency.

Conclusions:

• Immobilization of molecular electrocatalysts on GDEs is an effective strategy to boost CO2 reduction.
• Supramolecular interactions provide a viable route for catalyst integration.
• This approach significantly enhances catalytic performance and overcomes mass transport limitations.