title: Reduction of Carbon Dioxide to Formate at Low Overpotential Using a Superbase Ionic Liquid.
abstract: A new low-energy pathway is reported for the electrochemical reduction of CO2 to formate and syngas at low overpotentials, utilizing a reactive ionic liquid as the solvent. The superbasic tetraalkyl phosphonium ionic liquid [P66614][124Triz] is able to chemisorb CO2 through equimolar binding of CO2 with the 1,2,4-triazole anion. This chemisorbed CO2 can be reduced at silver electrodes at overpotentials as low as 0.17 V, forming formate. In contrast, physically absorbed CO2 within the same ionic liquid or in ionic liquids where chemisorption is impossible (such as [P66614][NTf2]) undergoes reduction at significantly increased overpotentials, producing only CO as the product.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AJ (UK).
authors.forename: Nathan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hollingsworth
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen's University Belfast, David Keir Building, Belfast, BT9 5AG (UK).
authors.forename: S F Rebecca
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chemistry, University of Campinas-UNICAMP, Campinas, SP (Brazil).
authors.forename: Miguel T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Galante
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen's University Belfast, David Keir Building, Belfast, BT9 5AG (UK).
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jacquemin
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chemistry, University of Campinas-UNICAMP, Campinas, SP (Brazil).
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Longo
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AJ (UK).
authors.forename: Katherine B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Holt
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AJ (UK).
authors.forename: Nora H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: de Leeuw
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen's University Belfast, David Keir Building, Belfast, BT9 5AG (UK). c.hardacre@qub.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hardacre
keywords: CO2 reduction; electrolysis; formate; ionic liquids; superbases