Cu-based nanomaterials have received increasing attention for electrocatalytic applications in the CO2 and CO reduction reactions. It is however challenging to design nanostructured Cu electrodes to improve both the chemical kinetics and molecular transport under the reaction conditions. We report here a new type of three-dimensional (3D), hierarchical Cu nanostructures as advanced electrocatalysts to address this challenge. Driven by thermal oxidation, CuO nanowires and/or porous structures grow on commercial Cu meshes or foams with 3D frameworks. Electrochemical reduction of CuO to Cu largely preserved the structural features of these materials. The derived 3D Cu electrodes are demonstrated to be highly active and selective for CO2 and/or CO reduction in both H-type and GDE cells, achieving &gt;80% Faradaic efficiency and ~3 times of enhancement in terms of CO2 conversion rate as compared to the Cu nanowires grown on planer electrodes. Our work highlights the great potential of 3D nanostructures for electrocatalytic applications in energy-conversion reactions.

Three-dimensional copper electrodes for CO2 and CO reduction

2019 Spring National Meeting

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