title: Bioinspired Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction by Bovine Serum Albumin-Capped Silver Nanoclusters Mediated by [α-SiW12O40 ](4-).
abstract: Silver nanoclusters capped with bovine serum albumin (AgNC@BSA) were synthesized and applied for the electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 . Inspired by the fact that many enzymes function only in the presence of coenzymes/cofactors that transfer electrons/protons or other groups, an electron transfer mediator was introduced to facilitate the electrical communication between the electrode and the strongly protected catalyst. The AgNC@BSA catalyst mediated by [α-SiW12 O40](4-) anions showed high electrocatalytic activity for CO2 reduction, which was not observed with either component on its own, in dimethylformamide containing 1 % (v/v) water. CO was the major product with excellent faradaic efficiency (>75 %). The onset potential for this catalytic CO2 reduction process is about 400 mV more positive than that found at a bulk silver electrode. This mediator-enhanced catalysis concept provides a general approach to investigate the electrocatalytic activities of nanoclusters, which remain largely unexplored.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Australian Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia.
authors.forename: Si-Xuan
authors.initials: SX
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Australian Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia.
authors.forename: Douglas R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: MacFarlane
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Australian Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia. jie.zhang@monash.edu.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000737:chemistry; D002384:Catalysis; D055664:Electrochemical Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D004566:Electrodes; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine / Q000737:chemistry*; D017640:Silicates / Q000737:chemistry*; D012834:Silver / Q000737:chemistry*; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D013499:Surface Properties; D017973:Tungsten Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D017640:Silicates; D017973:Tungsten Compounds; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine; D012834:Silver; D002248:Carbon Monoxide; C021746:silicotungstic acid
keywords: carbon dioxide fixation; electrocatalysis; electron transfer; nanoclusters; polyoxometalates; silver