Molecules (Sep 2021)

A Water-Soluble Sodium Pectate Complex with Copper as an Electrochemical Catalyst for Carbon Dioxide Reduction

  • Kirill V. Kholin,
  • Mikhail N. Khrizanforov,
  • Vasily M. Babaev,
  • Guliya R. Nizameeva,
  • Salima T. Minzanova,
  • Marsil K. Kadirov,
  • Yulia H. Budnikova

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26185524
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 26, no. 18
p. 5524

Abstract

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A selective noble-metal-free molecular catalyst has emerged as a fruitful approach in the quest for designing efficient and stable catalytic materials for CO2 reduction. In this work, we report that a sodium pectate complex of copper (PG-NaCu) proved to be highly active in the electrocatalytic conversion of CO2 to CH4 in water. Stability and selectivity of conversion of CO2 to CH4 as a product at a glassy carbon electrode were discovered. The copper complex PG-NaCu was synthesized and characterized by physicochemical methods. The electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) proceeds at −1.5 V vs. Ag/AgCl at ~10 mA/cm2 current densities in the presence of the catalyst. The current density decreases by less than 20% within 12 h of electrolysis (the main decrease occurs in the first 3 h of electrolysis in the presence of CO2). This copper pectate complex (PG-NaCu) combines the advantages of heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysts, the stability of heterogeneous solid materials and the performance (high activity and selectivity) of molecular catalysts.

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