Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SURFCAT (Surface-functionalised nanocrystal catalysts for the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide)
Période du rapport: 2020-02-01 au 2022-01-31
Copper is the only known pure metal that can convert CO2 into multicarbon products, such as ethylene and ethanol, which are highly desirable as they are more energy dense and have a much higher value than C1 products. One significant problem of using copper in the CO2RR is that 18 different products can be formed, and so more sophisticated materials based on copper are required to target specific products. The objective of this project was to synthesise organic molecules (ligands) that can be anchored onto the surface of a copper catalyst in order to fine-tune the CO2RR towards a more favourable outcome. These ligands would contain an imidazolium functional group that is well known to interact with CO2 molecules, which might concentrate CO2 molecules at the copper surface and increase the activity of the catalyst. The research carried out in this project concluded that indeed, functionalising metal surfaces with imidazolium ligands is a powerful tool for directing the outcome of the CO2RR.
A simplified model system was first investigated using silver nanocrystals (Ag NCs), which only produce CO from the CO2RR, as well as H2 from the competing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) from the reduction of protons in water. In this work, 12 new ligands containing different anchor and tail groups were synthesised and fully characterised. A ligand-exchange procedure was developed in order to introduce these ligands to the Ag NC surface without destroying the NC. It was found that electron-withdrawing anchor groups improved the activity of the catalyst, and that medium-length tail groups were optimal in hindering the HER without blocking CO2 molecules from accessing the surface. More than 90% CO selectivity was achieved using this approach and this work was published in Chemical Science. Applying the optimal ligand to the functionalisation of Cu NCs allowed us to study the impact on more complex product distributions. In that case, some HER suppression was also observed and we also discovered that the imidazolium ligand promoted the production of formate whilst suppressing ethylene. In this study on Cu NCs, the results allowed us to comment on a more fundamental aspect of catalyst design involving metallic NCs and functional surface ligands, as we discovered that cubic NCs were stable under CO2RR conditions, but spherical NCs underwent structural changes that ejected the surface ligands, meaning that their benefits are lost. Finally, in this study, we tested a cubic Cu NC / imidazolium hybrid catalyst in a larger, gas-fed cell and demonstrated that equivalent CO2RR performance was observed. This is significant as usual CO2RR testing is carried out in small “H”-cells at low current density. By moving to larger cells that operate at higher current density, we are starting to mimic the requirements of more economically viable devices. In this case we showed that these hybrid catalyst systems are appropriate candidates for such devices. This research was published in Inorganic Chemistry.
The widespread integration of such devices in future energy infrastructures will not only impact a number of scientific and engineering communities, but will massively impact wider society as well. Fully developed CO2RR fuel cells in the future will be able to out-compete fossil fuel energy sources in terms of price and local energy production. We will be able to produce multi-carbon fine chemicals and fuels in conjunction with localised green energy sources, adding value to renewable energy technologies and securing feedstocks for traditionally fossil fuel-based hydrocarbons. Combined with carbon capture technologies, we may even be able to accelerate the reduction of atmospheric CO2 levels, or at least divert new emissions from the atmosphere, making an important step in attaining our targets for tackling climate change.