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Electrochemical Fixation of Carbon Dioxide in Molten Salts on Liquid Zinc Cathode to Zinc@Graphitic Carbon Spheres for Enhanced Energy Storage
Author(s) -
Lv Teng,
Xiao Juanxiu,
Weng Wei,
Xiao Wei
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
advanced energy materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.08
H-Index - 220
eISSN - 1614-6840
pISSN - 1614-6832
DOI - 10.1002/aenm.202002241
Subject(s) - materials science , electrochemistry , cathode , carbon fixation , zinc , chemical engineering , energy storage , carbon fibers , carbon dioxide , nanotechnology , inorganic chemistry , electrode , metallurgy , organic chemistry , composite material , chemistry , composite number , power (physics) , physics , quantum mechanics , engineering
Fixation of carbon dioxide into advanced energy materials is an ideal protocol to address challenges in energy and environmental sustainability, with the efficiency of CO 2 fixation and the functionality of derived materials being the key‐enabling factors. Herein, using a liquid zinc cathode for CO 2 fixation in molten salts, CO 2 is electrochemically converted to graphitic carbon shells over spherical Zn cores, namely, Zn@C. The liquid Zn serves as a depolarizer to facilitate the reduction of CO 2 , and also a soft template to direct the generation of core–shell Zn@C spheres. Density functional theory calculations reveal that the coexisting Zn can enlarge the interlayer gap of graphitic carbon and induce a strong electronic interaction with AlCl 4 − . Such a strong coupling between Zn and carbon hence offers an enhanced energy storage capability of the Zn@C. The present study provides suggestions for enhancing efficiency of CO 2 fixation and value‐added utilization of nonferrous metals.