Highly Selective Electrocatalytic CO 2 Reduction to Methanol on Iridium Dioxide with CO * Spectators

In-Situ CeO2/CuO Heterojunction Electrocatalyst for CO2 Reduction to Ethylene

CeO2/CuO heterojunction composite catalysts were synthesized using a one-step method, achieving the introduction of Ce species on nanoscale copper oxide (CuO) particles during the hydrothermal process. CeO2 is primarily encapsulated the auxiliary catalyst CuO in the form of nanoparticles. On one hand, this protects the nanostructure of the substrate from damage and prevents the agglomeration of CuO nanoparticles. On the other hand, the bimetallic synergistic effect between Ce and Cu effectively improves the conductivity and catalytic activity of the catalyst, significantly enhancing the selectivity of the catalyst for electrochemical reduction of CO2 to C2H4, while effectively suppressing the competing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). By regulating the amount of CeO2 introducing, a series of CeO2/CuO composite catalysts were designed. The results showed that the 15 % CeO2/CuO catalyst exhibited the best selectivity and catalytic activity for C2H4. At a low overpotential of -1.2 V, the 15 % CeO2/CuO catalyst demonstrated a current density of 14.2 mA cm-2 and achieved a Faradaic efficiency for ethylene as high as 65.78 %, which is 2.85 times the current density (j=4.98 mA cm-2) and 3.27 times the Faradaic efficiency for ethylene (FEC2H4=20.13 %) of the undoped catalyst at the same potential. This work provides a feasible basis for achieving efficient CO2RR to C2 products, and even multi-carbon products.

Electro-Synthesis of Organic Compounds with Heterogeneous Catalysis

Electro-organic synthesis has attracted a lot of attention in pharmaceutical science, medicinal chemistry, and future industrial applications in energy storage and conversion. To date, there has not been a detailed review on electro-organic synthesis with the strategy of heterogeneous catalysis. In this review, the most recent advances in synthesizing value-added chemicals by heterogeneous catalysis are summarized. An overview of electrocatalytic oxidation and reduction processes as well as paired electrocatalysis is provided, and the anodic oxidation of alcohols (monohydric and polyhydric), aldehydes, and amines are discussed. This review also provides in-depth insight into the cathodic reduction of carboxylates, carbon dioxide, CC, C≡C, and reductive coupling reactions. Moreover, the electrocatalytic paired electro-synthesis methods, including parallel paired, sequential divergent paired, and convergent paired electrolysis, are summarized. Additionally, the strategies developed to achieve high electrosynthesis efficiency and the associated challenges are also addressed. It is believed that electro-organic synthesis is a promising direction of organic electrochemistry, offering numerous opportunities to develop new organic reaction methods.