Efficient Wettability-controlled Electroreduction of CO to CO at Au/C Interfaces

Overview

Journal Nat Commun

Specialty Biology

Date 2020 Jun 17

PMID 32541875

Citations 31

Authors

Run Shi

Jiahao Guo

Xuerui Zhang

Geoffrey I N Waterhouse

Zhaojun Han

Yunxuan Zhao

Lu Shang

Chao Zhou

Lei Jiang

Tierui Zhang

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The electrochemical CO reduction reaction (CORR) represents a very promising future strategy for synthesizing carbon-containing chemicals in a more sustainable way. In spite of great progress in electrocatalyst design over the last decade, the critical role of wettability-controlled interfacial structures for CORR remains largely unexplored. Here, we systematically modify the structure of gas-liquid-solid interfaces over a typical Au/C gas diffusion electrode through wettability modification to reveal its contribution to interfacial CO transportation and electroreduction. Based on confocal laser scanning microscopy measurements, the Cassie-Wenzel coexistence state is demonstrated to be the ideal three phase structure for continuous CO supply from gas phase to Au active sites at high current densities. The pivotal role of interfacial structure for the stabilization of the interfacial CO concentration during CORR is quantitatively analysed through a newly-developed in-situ fluorescence electrochemical spectroscopic method, pinpointing the necessary CO mass transfer conditions for CORR operation at high current densities.

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