Electrochemical Reduction of Carbon Dioxide in 1-Ethyl-3-Methylimidazolium BF₄/Methanol Electrolyte

Abstract:

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) can be electrochemically reduced to useful products under mild condition. In recent years, increased attempts have been devoted to use ionic liquid (IL) as the solvents, electrolytes and catalysts for CO₂ reduction. However, owing to the high viscosity of ILs, CO₂ diffusion in ILs is restrained, lead to low current density of CO₂ reduction. To overcome this problem, in present work, we used methanol as the organic solvent to dilute 1-Ethyl-3-Methylimidazolium BF₄ ([EmiBF₄), an commonly used IL in electrochemistry, the obtained [BmiBF₄/methanol solution have many unique properties, such as low viscosity, high ionic conductivity, high CO₂ solubility and low cost. The current density of CO₂ reduction reached 14.2 mA/cm² at-1.95V (vs SCE) on Ag electrode. Electrochemical reduction of CO₂ in [BmiBF₄/methanol solution provides a hopeful technique for CO₂ recycling utilization and renewable electrical energy storage.

• Periodical: Advanced Materials Research (Volumes 781-784)
• Pages: 2573-2576
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.781-784.2573
• Online since: September 2013
• Authors: Jin Shi*, You Jian Jia, Feng Shi, Xiao Chun Wang
• Keywords: Carbon Dioxide, Organic Electrochemistry, Renewable Electrical Energy Storage

References

[1] G. A. Olah, A. Goeppert, G. K. S. Prakash, Chemical Recycling of Carbon Dioxide to Methanol and Dimethyl Ether: From Greenhouse Gas to Renewable, Environmentally Carbon Neutral Fuels and Synthetic Hydrocarbons. Journal of Organic Chemistry, J. Org. Chem. 74 (2009).

DOI: 10.1021/jo801260f

[2] R. Zevenhoven, S. Eloneva, S. Teir, Chemical fixation of CO2 in carbonates: Routes to valuable products and long-term storage, Catalysis Today 115 (2006) 73-79.

DOI: 10.1016/j.cattod.2006.02.020

[3] E. E. Barton, D. M. Rampulla, A. B. Bocarsly, Selective Solar-Driven Reduction of CO2 to Methanol Using a Catalyzed p-GaP Based Photoelectrochemical Cell, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 130 (2008) 6342-6344.

DOI: 10.1021/ja0776327

[4] L.M. Aeshala, S.U. Rahman, A. Verma, Effect of solid polymer electrolyte on electrochemical reduction of CO2, Separation and Purification Technology 94 (2012) 131-137.

DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2011.12.030

[5] T. Yamamoto, D. A. Tryk, A. Fujishima, H. Ohata, Production of syngas plus oxygen from CO2 in a gas-diffusion electrode-based electrolytic cell, Electrochim. Acta. 47 (2002) 3327-3334.

DOI: 10.1016/s0013-4686(02)00253-0

[6] G. Centi, S. Perathoner, Opportunities and prospects in the chemical recycling of carbon dioxide to fuels, Catalysis Today 148 (2009) 191-205.

DOI: 10.1016/j.cattod.2009.07.075

[7] P. Hapiot, C. Lagrost, Electrochemical Reactivity in Room-Temperature Ionic Liquids, Chem. Rev. 108(2008)2238-2264.

DOI: 10.1021/cr0680686

[8] L. V. Haynes, D. T. Sawyer, Electrochemistry of Carbon Dioxide in Dimethyl Sulfoxide at Gold and Mercury Electrodes, Anal. Chem. 39(1967)332-338.

DOI: 10.1021/ac60247a013

[9] H. Yano, F. Shirai, M. Nakayama, K. Ogura, Electrochemical reduction of CO2 at three-phase (gas/liquid/Solid) and two-phase (liquid/solid) interfaces on Ag electrodes. J. Electroanal. Chem. 533 (2002) 113-118.

DOI: 10.1016/s0022-0728(02)01078-1

[10] I. Taniguchi, In Modern Aspects of Electrochemistry, Plenum, New York, (1989).

[11] W. Vielstich, A. Lamm, H. A. Gasteiger, Handbook of Fuel Cells, Wiley, (2003).

[12] R. P. S. Chaplin and A. A. Wragg, Effects of process conditions and electrode material on reaction pathways for carbon dioxide electroreduction with particular reference to formate formation, J. Appl. Electrochem. 33(2003) 1107-1123.

DOI: 10.1023/b:jach.0000004018.57792.b8

[13] M. A. Scibioh, B. Viswanathan, Proceedings of the Indian National Science Academy, Part A: Physical Sciences, 70(2004) 407-409.

[14] M. Mikkelsen, M. Jørgensen, F. C. Krebs, The teraton challenge. A review of fixation and transformation of carbon dioxide, Energy Environ. Sci. 3(2010)43-81.

DOI: 10.1039/b912904a

[15] P. S. Surdhar, S. P. Mezyk, D. A. Armstrong, Reduction Potential of the CO2·- Radical Anion in Aqueous Solutions, J. Phys. Chem. 93(1989)3360-3363.

DOI: 10.1021/j100345a094

[16] C. Amatore, Mechanism and Kinetic Characteristics of the Electrochemical Reduction of Carbon Dioxide in Media of Low Proton Availability, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 103(1981)5021-5023.

DOI: 10.1021/ja00407a008

[17] B.A. Rosen , A. Salehi-Khojin, M.R. Thorson, W. Zhu, D. T. Whipple, P. J. A Kenis, M. I. Masel, Ionic Liquid–Mediated Selective Conversion of CO2 to CO at Low Overpotentials. Science 334(2011)643-644.

DOI: 10.1126/science.1209786

[18] S. Chowdhury, R. S. Mohan, J. L. Scott, Reactivity of ionic liquids, Tetrahedron 63 (2007) 2363-2389.

DOI: 10.1016/j.tet.2006.11.001