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Synthesis of electrocatalysts based on MxOy and MxOy/C (M = Sn, Cu, and Co) with potential for application in CO2 reduction

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Abstract

Electrochemical CO2 reduction (CO2RE) using pure metal oxide electrocatalysts such as SnO2, Co3O4, and CuO supported on Vulcan XC72 carbon could be an alternative to overcome the problems caused by high CO2 emission rates. Electrochemically, CO2 can be converted into high-value-added organic compounds such as hydrocarbons and multicarbons. Thus, among the various metal oxides already described in the literature, SnO2 and Co3O4 show good results in catalyzing the CO2 reduction reaction to intermediate products such as formate or methanoate. CuO in turn is capable of reducing CO2 to several products such as methane (CH4), ethylene (C2H4), formate (HCOO−), ethanol (C2H5OH), n-propanol (C3H7OH), and carbon monoxide (CO). Pure Sn, Co, and Cu oxides supported on Vulcan XC72 carbon were synthesized by the co-precipitation method. X-ray diffraction was performed to characterize the crystal structures obtained. SnO2 and SnO2/C had a rutile-type crystalline structure with a tetragonal crystalline system and space group (P42/mnm), while Co3O4 and Co3O4/C had a cubic crystalline system centered on a normal spinel and space group Fd3m, while CuO and CuO/C had a monoclinic structure and a square planar crystalline system with space group C2/C. The materials were characterized by cyclic voltammetry. SnO2 and SnO2/C showed an anodic peak (AI) at −0.81 V vs. Ag/AgCl, which is related to the formation of SnO2, while Co3O4 and Co3O4/C showed an anodic peak (AI) at 0.76 V vs. Ag/AgCl, which is related to the formation of cobalt(IV), and a cathodic peak (CI) at 0.64 V vs. Ag/AgCl, which is related to the reduction of cobalt(IV) to cobalt(III). CuO/C showed anodic peaks at 0.2 V, 0.6 V vs. Ag/AgCl, and cathodic peaks at −0.4 V and −0.8 V vs. Ag/AgCl 3.0 mol L−1 reference electrode. Using linear sweep voltammetry, CuO/C saturated with N2 and saturated with CO2 showed a higher current density compared to the other electrocatalysts, indicating that the H2 evolution reaction was favored, and CO2RE was favored when saturated with CO2. Therefore, this electrocatalyst was selected to study the products formed. The products were studied by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) after performing chronoamperometry, showing the potential of this low-cost electrocatalyst for CO2 reduction when formate, ethanol, acetone, acetate, and ethanol were observed at chemical shifts of 8.5, 3.2, 2.2, 1.9, and 1.2 ppm.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the Carlos Alberto Redins Cellular Ultrastructure Laboratory (LUCCAR/CCS) at UFES, for conducting SEM, EDS, and TEM analyses. A special acknowledgment goes to the Carbonaceous and Ceramic Materials Laboratory (LMC/CCE) at UFES for their assistance with XRD analyses. We are also thankful to the Physicochemical and Microbiological Characterization Laboratory (LACAR) – SECTI for the Raman analysis. In addition, we would like to thank the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) and Espírito Santo Research Support Foundation (FAPES) funding agencies for their financial support, which played a crucial role in making this research possible.

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FAPES, CAPES, and CNPq.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratório de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento em Eletroquímica (LPDE), Department of Chemistry, Center of Exact Sciences, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Campus Goiabeiras, Av. Fernando Ferrari, 514, Vitória, ES, 29075-910, Brazil

    Robson R. Garcia, Gabriel F. S. dos Santos & Josimar Ribeiro

  2. Laboratório de Ressonância Magnética Nuclear, Department of Chemistry, Center of Exact Sciences, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Campus Goiabeiras, Av. Fernando Ferrari, 514, 29075-910, Vitória, Brazil

    Alvaro Cunha Neto

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  1. Robson R. Garcia
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  2. Gabriel F. S. dos Santos
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Contributions

Robson R. Garcia: conceptualization, investigation, methodology, writing—original draft; Gabriel F. S. dos Santos: formal analysis, visualization, writing—review and editing; Alvaro Cunha Neto: formal analysis; Josimar Ribeiro: writing—review and editing, project administration, supervision, funding acquisition.

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Correspondence to Josimar Ribeiro.

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Garcia, R.R., dos Santos, G.F.S., Neto, A.C. et al. Synthesis of electrocatalysts based on MxOy and MxOy/C (M = Sn, Cu, and Co) with potential for application in CO2 reduction. J Solid State Electrochem (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10008-024-05903-9

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