The surface morphology of Cu electrodes is known to profoundly affect the product selectivity of the reduction of carbon monoxide to hydrocarbons. Specifically, a high density of undercoordinated Cu sites has been shown to typically increase the Faradaic efficiency for ethylene in comparison to the Cu(111) facet. Theoretical investigations have suggested that the coupling of two surface-adsorbed CO molecules constitutes the elementary step that leads to the formation of the C-C bond. Therefore, the relative proximity of reactive CO molecules on the surface is expected to impact the rate of ethylene formation. Herein, we control the average distance between adsorbed CO molecules at a fixed surface coverage by systematically changing the electrode’s surface morphology. With surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRAS) and differential electrochemical mass spectrometry (DEMS), we probe how the distribution of active sites on the surface affect the rate of ethylene formation. Our findings shine light on the fundamental process of C-C coupling on Cu electrodes. We will discuss the implications of our findings for the design of Cu electrodes with a high selectivity for ethylene.

Correlating the distribution of active sites on Cu electrodes with the rate of CO to ethylene conversion

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.