Issue 5, 2023

The spatial distribution of cobalt phthalocyanine and copper nanocubes controls the selectivity towards C2 products in tandem electrocatalytic CO2 reduction

Abstract

The coupling of CO-generating molecular catalysts with copper electrodes in tandem schemes is a promising strategy to boost the formation of multi-carbon products in the electrocatalytic reduction of CO2. While the spatial distribution of the two components is important, this aspect remains underexplored for molecular-based tandem systems. Herein, we address this knowledge gap by studying tandem catalysts comprising Co-phthalocyanine (CoPc) and Cu nanocubes (Cucub). In particular, we identify the importance of the relative spatial distribution of the two components on the performance of the tandem catalyst by preparing CoPc-Cucub/C, wherein the CoPc and Cucub share an interface, and CoPc-C/Cucub, wherein the CoPc is loaded first on carbon black (C) before mixing with the Cucub. The electrocatalytic measurements of these two catalysts show that the faradaic efficiency towards C2 products almost doubles for the CoPc-Cucub/C, whereas it decreases by half for the CoPc-C/Cucub, compared to the Cucub/C. Our results highlight the importance of a direct contact between the CO-generating molecular catalyst and the Cu to promote C–C coupling, which hints at a surface transport mechanism of the CO intermediate between the two components of the tandem catalyst instead of a transfer via CO diffusion in the electrolyte followed by re-adsorption.

Graphical abstract: The spatial distribution of cobalt phthalocyanine and copper nanocubes controls the selectivity towards C2 products in tandem electrocatalytic CO2 reduction

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Edge Article
Submitted
17 nov 2022
Accepted
03 jan 2023
First published
04 jan 2023
This article is Open Access

All publication charges for this article have been paid for by the Royal Society of Chemistry
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Chem. Sci., 2023,14, 1097-1104

The spatial distribution of cobalt phthalocyanine and copper nanocubes controls the selectivity towards C2 products in tandem electrocatalytic CO2 reduction

M. Wang, A. Loiudice, V. Okatenko, I. D. Sharp and R. Buonsanti, Chem. Sci., 2023, 14, 1097 DOI: 10.1039/D2SC06359J

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