The looming climate crisis urges the development of fuel generation in a renewable manner. Contrary to the electrochemical carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction reaction which mainly yields C1 and C2 products, enzymatic catalysis unlocks the capacity to upgrade CO2 to value-added multi-carbon fuels, however, requiring costly coenzymes. Coenzymes, utilized by enzymes as carriers for electrons and holes, play a crucial role in driving enzyme activities. Coenzymes can be exorbitant; thus, to establish a sustainable and affordable cell free enzymatic system their regeneration is paramount. Of interest is the coenzyme Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (1,4-NADH), which is oxidized to NAD+ in the enzymatic reductive processes. Herein, cost-effective transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), 2H-MoS2, 2H-WS2, and 2H-WSe2 were employed to electrochemically convert NAD+ to 1,4-NADH with efficiencies comparable to the precious metal catalysts. Of the aforementioned TMDCs, 2H-WSe2 was found to have optimal performance with the selective regeneration of 1,4-NADH at a rate of 10mmols cm-2 hr-1 with a 66% faradaic efficiency at -0.8 V vs Ag/AgCl.

Electrochemical Regeneration of NADH on transition metal dichalcogenide nanoflowers

ACS Spring 2022

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