The ever increasing consumption of fossil-fuel accompanied with large amount of CO2 emission has led to global climate change as well as a growing concern about future availability of fossil-fuel as energy sources due to their limited reserves. Electrochemical reduction of CO2 to fuels and high-value-added chemicals provides a promising way to address both problems is receiving an increasing attention world-wide [1]. However, the performance of catalysts in terms of activity, selectivity and durability are still unsatisfactory for large scales commercialization. For better catalysts design, it is critical to have a thorough and deep understanding of the reaction mechanisms. Here we report a detailed mechanistic study of electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) on Cu2O based catalysts [2] via in-situ attenuated total reflection surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (ATR-SEIRAS) and Raman spectroscopy (Fig. 1). Various reaction intermediates and products such as CO, COH, OCH3, COOH among others were detected during electrochemical CO2RR, some of them being potential dependent. The catalyst oxidation state evolution was monitored via in-situ Raman spectrum. Combining in-situ ATR-SEIRAS and Raman spectroscopy, potential dependent intermediates and products were identified, and the catalyst evolution with potential determined. This information helped to increase the understanding of these reactions, which was used in rational catalysts design that will be presented at the meeting.

Insights into Cu2O-based catalysts for electrochemical CO2 reduction via in-situ ATR-IR and Raman

255th National Meeting (2018)

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