Pd-Catalyzed Electrohydrogenation of Carbon Dioxide to Formate: High Mass Activity at Low Overpotential and Identification of the Deactivation Pathway

Electrochemical reduction of CO2 to formate (HCO2(-)) powered by renewable electricity is a possible carbon-negative alternative to synthesizing formate from fossil fuels. This process is energetically inefficient because >1 V of overpotential is required for CO2 reduction to HCO2(-) on the metals currently used as cathodic catalysts. Pd reduces CO2 to HCO2(-) with no overpotential, but this activity has previously been limited to low synthesis rates and plagued by an unidentified deactivation pathway. Here we show that Pd nanoparticles dispersed on a carbon support reach high mass activities (50-80 mA HCO2(-) synthesis per mg Pd) when driven by less than 200 mV of overpotential in aqueous bicarbonate…

• SU
  Stanford University
• HF
  Hellman Foundation
• DO
  Division of Chemistry

  Award: CHE-1266401