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One‐Pot Soft‐Template Synthesis of Nanostructured Copper‐Supported Mesoporous Carbon FDU‐15 Electrocatalysts for Efficient CO 2 Reduction
Author(s) -
Şahin Nihat Ege,
Comminges Clément,
Le Valant Anthony,
Kiener Julien,
Parmentier Julien,
Napporn Teko W.,
Melinte Georgian,
Ersen Ovidiu,
Kokoh Kouakou B.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
chemphyschem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.016
H-Index - 140
eISSN - 1439-7641
pISSN - 1439-4235
DOI - 10.1002/cphc.201701352
Subject(s) - overpotential , mesoporous material , copper , materials science , chemical engineering , nanoparticle , nanomaterial based catalyst , carbon fibers , catalysis , formic acid , inorganic chemistry , nanotechnology , chemistry , electrode , electrochemistry , composite material , metallurgy , organic chemistry , composite number , engineering
Copper‐supported mesoporous carbon nanocatalysts (Cu/FDU‐15) were synthesized using an easy and convenient one‐pot soft‐template method for low‐overvoltage CO 2 electroreduction. TEM imaging revealed the presence of large Cu nanoparticles (diameter 140 nm) with Cu 2 O nanoparticles (16 nm) as an additional phase. From the electron tomography observations, we found that the copper particles were placed inside and on the exterior surface of the porous FDU‐15 support, providing an accessible surface for electrocatalytic reactions. CO 2 electrolyses showed that the mesostructured Cu/FDU‐15‐350 cathode materials were active towards CO 2 conversion to formic acid with 22 % Faradaic efficiency at a remarkably low overpotential of 290 mV, hydrogen being the only side‐product. The catalyst's activity correlates to the calculated metallic surface area, as determined from a geometrical model, confirming that the mesoporous channels act as a diffusion path for the CO 2 molecule, and that the whole Cu surface is accessible to CO 2 , even if particles are entrapped in the carbon matrix.