The Relevance of the Interfacial Water Reactivity for Electrochemical CO Reduction on Copper Single Crystals.

ABSTRACT: The electrochemical reduction of CO₂ is an important electrolysis reaction that enables the conversion of a waste gas to fuels or value-added chemicals. To make this reaction viable, a profound understanding of central intermediate steps, such as the CO electroreduction, is required. On Cu, the CO reduction reaction (CORR) is intimately linked to the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) that proceeds via the reduction of water in alkaline or neutral electrolytes. Here, we demonstrate that the interaction of water or more specifically the water reduction kinetics on differently smooth Cu(100) and Cu(111) surfaces during the CORR in alkaline media significantly governs the CORR. On Cu(111), faster HER kinetics and the highest CORR activity are observed, even though HER and CORR onset

SUBMITTER: Winkler D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10806897 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature