Hydrogen bonding steers the product selectivity of electrocatalytic CO reduction.

ABSTRACT: The product selectivity of many heterogeneous electrocatalytic processes is profoundly affected by the liquid side of the electrocatalytic interface. The electrocatalytic reduction of CO to hydrocarbons on Cu electrodes is a prototypical example of such a process. However, probing the interactions of surface-bound intermediates with their liquid reaction environment poses a formidable experimental challenge. As a result, the molecular origins of the dependence of the product selectivity on the characteristics of the electrolyte are still poorly understood. Herein, we examined the chemical and electrostatic interactions of surface-adsorbed CO with its liquid reaction environment. Using a series of quaternary alkyl ammonium cations ([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see tex

SUBMITTER: Li J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6511002 | biostudies-literature | 2019 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature