Issue 18, 2025

An exclusive CO2-to-CO converting single-stack electrolyzer driven by a biomass-derived N-doped carbon-based bimetallic electrocatalyst

Abstract

Effective carbon capture and its facile conversion into high-value chemicals is reckoned as a practical solution to mitigating the impending climate change effects. Electrochemical conversion of CO2 to other compounds has emerged as one of the leading processes; however, it mostly lingers in the early stage of technology development with poor selectivity and high operational costs. Herein, we present a one-pot synthesis of a carbon-based bimetallic catalyst embedded in a carbon matrix derived from naturally abundant coconut fibers for the selective electrocatalytic reduction of CO2. Incorporating bismuth and nickel as active metals within an N-doped carbon matrix, the catalyst demonstrates an impressive faradaic efficiency of approximately 95% to produce CO while operating at −0.9 V vs. RHE. Further testing of the N-doped carbon supported Bi18Ni8O36 (Bi,Ni/N-C) composite catalyst in an electrolyzer revealed its capability to achieve a current density of 110 mA cm−2 required for industrial-level applications and can produce ∼1.5 L (60.5 mmol) of CO in 6 hours. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were conducted to gain deeper insights into the catalytic process, revealing that the nickel metal site exhibits greater activity in facilitating the CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). This approach not only enhances the selectivity and efficiency of CO2 conversion processes but also underscores the potential of utilizing cost-effective and biodegradable materials for catalyst design, offering a sustainable pathway to mitigate rising CO2 emissions and produce valuable industrial products.

Graphical abstract: An exclusive CO2-to-CO converting single-stack electrolyzer driven by a biomass-derived N-doped carbon-based bimetallic electrocatalyst

Supplementary files

Transparent peer review

To support increased transparency, we offer authors the option to publish the peer review history alongside their article.

View this article’s peer review history

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
18 Oct 2024
Accepted
24 Mar 2025
First published
25 Mar 2025

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2025,13, 13378-13390

An exclusive CO2-to-CO converting single-stack electrolyzer driven by a biomass-derived N-doped carbon-based bimetallic electrocatalyst

V. Trivedi, S. Jain, R. Biswas, S. G. Dastider, K. Mondal, S. Bhattacharya, V. Vishal and A. Dutta, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2025, 13, 13378 DOI: 10.1039/D4TA07452A

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements