Coupling CO2 reduction with 2e− water oxidation for simultaneous production of formate and H2O2

Abstract

This study demonstrates a distinctive electrolyzer that effectively couples a 2e⁻ CO₂ reduction reaction with a 2e⁻ H₂O oxidation reaction, to produce value-added products at both the cathode and anode: formate and H₂O₂, respectively, and that too by using an identical catholyte and anolyte under near-neutral conditions. The electrolyzer performs better than its 3-electrode counterpart, and outperforms the conventionally sluggish OER pathway with a 48 mV lower onset potential.