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Low‐Energy CO 2 Reduction on a Metal‐Free Carbon Material
Author(s) -
Xie Jiafang,
Ghausi Muhammad Arsalan,
Wang Jian,
Wang Xueyuan,
Wang Wei,
Yang Rui,
Wu Maoxiang,
Zhang Qiaobao,
Wang Yaobing
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
chemelectrochem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.182
H-Index - 59
ISSN - 2196-0216
DOI - 10.1002/celc.202000431
Subject(s) - overpotential , electrocatalyst , faraday efficiency , electrochemistry , carbon fibers , catalysis , inorganic chemistry , dopant , chemistry , materials science , reversible hydrogen electrode , electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide , bicarbonate , chemical engineering , doping , electrode , working electrode , organic chemistry , carbon monoxide , optoelectronics , composite material , composite number , engineering
Electrochemical CO 2 reduction to value‐added chemicals on carbon‐based catalysts is a potential approach for low‐cost value‐added CO 2 recycling. However, high overpotential and limited understanding of the mechanism remain challenging. Herein, a nitrogen and phosphorus co‐doped carbon (NPC) material, which is synthesized through a simple pyrolysis, promoted low‐energy electrochemical CO 2 reduction. The NPC electrocatalyst combines the advantages of active sites co‐optimized by N and P, faster electrokinetics with bicarbonate providing proton, and more accessible active sites exposed by soft‐template precursors. The NPC electrocatalyst exhibited more than ten‐ and fourfold enhancement of the partial current density of CO production compared to N‐doped and P‐doped carbon materials, respectively, with high selectivity (86 % faradaic efficiency) at only −0.45 V. Experimental data coupled with density function theory calculations revealed that N and P dopants cooperated to enhance CO 2 adsorption, first electron transfer to CO 2 and then *COOH intermediate stabilization, leading to active and selective CO 2 ‐to‐CO conversion. This work extends the design and understanding of metal‐free carbon‐based electrocatalysts for electrochemical CO 2 reduction.