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An Artificial Electrode/Electrolyte Interface for CO 2 Electroreduction by Cation Surfactant Self‐Assembly
Author(s) -
Zhong Yang,
Xu Yan,
Ma Jun,
Wang Cheng,
Sheng Siyu,
Cheng Congtian,
Li Mengxuan,
Han Lu,
Zhou Linlin,
Cai Zhao,
Kuang Yun,
Liang Zheng,
Sun Xiaoming
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
angewandte chemie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1521-3757
pISSN - 0044-8249
DOI - 10.1002/ange.202005522
Subject(s) - electrolyte , formic acid , chemistry , electrode , pulmonary surfactant , reversible hydrogen electrode , density functional theory , chemical engineering , electrocatalyst , inorganic chemistry , electrochemistry , computational chemistry , organic chemistry , working electrode , biochemistry , engineering
In this work, an artificial electrode/electrolyte (E/E) interface, made by coating the electrode surface with a quaternary ammonium cation (R 4 N + ) surfactant, was successfully developed, leading to a change in the CO 2 reduction reaction (CO 2 RR) pathway. This artificial E/E interface, with high CO 2 permeability, promotes CO 2 transportation and hydrogenation, as well as suppresses the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Linear and branched surfactants facilitated formic acid and CO production, respectively. Molecular dynamics simulations show that the artificial interface provided a facile CO 2 diffusion pathway. Moreover, density‐functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed the stabilization of the key intermediate, OCHO*, through interactions with R 4 N + . This strategy might also be applicable to other electrocatalytic reactions where gas consumption is involved.