title: Cu/Cu2O Electrodes and CO2Reduction to Formic Acid: Effects of Organic Additives on Surface Morphology and Activity.
abstract: Copper/copper oxide (Cu/Cu2O) electrodes are known to display interesting electrocatalytic performances for the reduction of CO2, and thus, deserve further investigation for optimization. Here, we show that the addition of nitrogen-based organic additives greatly improves the activity of these electrodes (higher current densities, greater selectivity, and higher faradaic yields). The best effector is found to be tetramethyl cyclam. For example, electrolysis at -2.0 V versus Fc+/Fc in CO2-saturated DMF/H2O (99:1, v/v) in the presence of this effector results in formic acid with almost 90 % faradaic yield. SEM and XPS analysis of the electrode surface reveals that the organic additive promotes the formation of active Cu0nanoparticles from Cu2O during electrolysis. This simple approach provides a straightforward strategy toward the optimization of Cu/Cu2O electrodes.
authors: Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, 38000, France.|Laboratory of Chemistry and Biology of Metals, CNRS UMR 5249, 17 rue des Martyrs, 38054, Grenoble cedex, France.|Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA), BIG, Grenoble, 3800, France.
authors: Tran Ngoc
authors: TN
authors: Huan
authors: Laboratoire de Chimie des Processus Biologiques, CNRS UMR 8229, Collège de France, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 11 Place Marcelin Berthelot, 75005, Paris, France.
authors: Philippe
authors: P
authors: Simon
authors: Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, 38000, France.|Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA), Institut Laboratoire d'Innovation pour les Technologies des Energies, Nouvelles et les Nanomatériaux (LITEN), Grenoble, 38000, France.
authors: Anass
authors: A
authors: Benayad
authors: Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, 38000, France.|Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA), Institut Laboratoire d'Innovation pour les Technologies des Energies, Nouvelles et les Nanomatériaux (LITEN), Grenoble, 38000, France.
authors: Laure
authors: L
authors: Guetaz
authors: Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, 38000, France. vincent.artero@cea.fr.|Laboratory of Chemistry and Biology of Metals, CNRS UMR 5249, 17 rue des Martyrs, 38054, Grenoble cedex, France. vincent.artero@cea.fr.|Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA), BIG, Grenoble, 3800, France. vincent.artero@cea.fr.
authors: Vincent
authors: V
authors: Artero
authors: Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, 38000, France. marc.fontecave@cea.fr.|Laboratory of Chemistry and Biology of Metals, CNRS UMR 5249, 17 rue des Martyrs, 38054, Grenoble cedex, France. marc.fontecave@cea.fr.|Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA), BIG, Grenoble, 3800, France. marc.fontecave@cea.fr.|Laboratoire de Chimie des Processus Biologiques, CNRS UMR 8229, Collège de France, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 11 Place Marcelin Berthelot, 75005, Paris, France. marc.fontecave@cea.fr.
authors: Marc
authors: M
authors: Fontecave
keywords: carbon dioxide valorization; copper; electrocatalysis; nanoparticles; surface chemistry