Polymer-Regulated Electrochemical Reduction of CO₂ on Ag.

ABSTRACT: The influence of polymer overlayers on the catalytic activity of Ag for electrochemical CO₂ reduction to CO is explored. Polystyrene and poly(4-vinylpyridine) films of varying thicknesses are applied as catalysis-directing overlayers atop Ag electrodes. For polystyrene, substantial suppression of CO₂ reduction activity is observed while the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) increases. The addition of a nitrogen heteroatom into the phenyl groups of polystyrene (e.g., a pyridine ring) results in an increase in the conversion of CO₂ to CO and suppression of HER. Block copolymer variants containing both phenyl and pyridyl functionalities exhibit similar activity for CO evolution but appear to suppress HER further than the polymer layer containing only pyridine

SUBMITTER: Guo A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11459466 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature