Boosting the faradaic efficiency for carbon dioxide to monoxide on a phthalocyanine cobalt based gas diffusion electrode to higher than 99% via microstructure regulation of catalyst layer. (1st October 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wan, Qiqi; He, Qichuan; Zhang, Yang; Zhang, Longhai; Li, Jin; Hou, Junbo; Zhuang, Xiaodong; Ke, Changchun; Zhang, Junliang
• Is Part Of: Electrochimica acta. Volume 392(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-10-01
• Subjects: Phthalocyanine cobalt -- Gas diffusion electrodes -- Carbon dioxide electrochemical reductions -- Catalyst layers -- Carbon monoxide; Electrochemistry -- Periodicals; Electrochemistry, Industrial -- Periodicals; 541.37
• DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2021.139023
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0013-4686

Abstract

Abstract: Various electrocatalysts have been developed to efficiently catalyze the CO2 electrochemical reduction reactions (CO2 -ERRs). However, the electrode on which the CO2 -ERRs occur is more crucial from a practical viewpoint. Herein, we have investigated the phthalocyanine cobalt (CoPc) based gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs) for CO2 to carbon monoxide (CO) conversion. CoPc based GDEs achieved CO partial current densities of up to 110 mA cm −2, and faradaic efficiency for CO (FECO ) clearly above 99%. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) and contact angle measurement reveal the important role of perfluorinated sulfonic acid (PFSA) binder and the carbon black (CB) in the catalyst layer (CL) of the CoPc based GDE, whose presence and distribution constitute likely the basic networks for mass transfer and electrons conduction, the origins of the favorable CO2 -to-CO current density and selectivity. This work provides vital insight into practical consideration in designing efficient reaction regions for CoPc based GDEs with an optimal structure, that must optimize mass transport as well as electron conduction.