Graphitic materials such as multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) are excellent supports for immobilizing molecular catalysts enabling catalysis in aqueous solutions. Cobalt Phthalocyanine has been a well studied CO2 reduction catalyst, and has been recently reported to be an excellent hybrid when immobilized with MWCNT with Faradaic efficiencies &gt;95% in 0.5M KHCO3 aqueous electrolyte. This reported system is used to probe the underlying molecular interactions between the catalyst and MWCNT with the aim to produce new hybrid heterogenous electrodes. It have been observed that there is an upperlimit, &gt;40%, for the percent of electroactive catalyst on the electrodes. Futhermore as ratio of catalyst loading to MWCNT loading increases, the percent of electroactive catalyst decreases. From controlled potential electrolysis, these hybrid electrodes have been found to be highly efficient for CO2 reduction with a Faradaic efficency &gt;95%, and an average current density of 4mA/cm2. Additionally, there is an upperlimit in the moles of electroactive catalyst at constant mass of MWCNT. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and elemental mapping was used to observe the topography of these hybrid materials.

Probing the molecular interactions between the immobilized molecular catalysts and the multi-walled carbon nanotube support for CO2 reduction in near neutral pH aqueous environments

ACS Spring 2022

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