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Decreasing the Overpotential for Formate Production in Electrochemical CO2 Reduction Achieved by Anodized Sn Electrode

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Abstract

The Sn electrode possesses a high selectivity for formate production in electrochemical CO2 reduction. Understanding the relationship between the selectivity of formate and surface characteristics such as structure and chemical state is important for obtaining high activity. In this study, we fabricated a porous Sn electrode using a simple method of anodization in lactic acid. The anodized electrode had numerous 1-μm pores and its surface chemical state had a relatively high ratio of Sn0 compared with that of a bare Sn electrode. In the CO2 reduction reaction, the anodized Sn electrode showed a Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 35% for formate production at a low applied potential of −0.6 V vs. a reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), with suppressed H2 generation. A Tafel analysis revealed that the slope of the anodized Sn electrode was 70 mV/decade, suggesting an increase in the stability of the CO2 radical anion. These results indicated that a coordinative unsaturation site such as the edge site formed by anodization contributes to a decrease in the overpotential and an increase in the reactive sites for formate production. Moreover, the surface structure appeared to be a significant factor in the production of formate at a very low applied potential relative to the surface oxidation state.

Textual abstract

The porous Sn electrode was prepared by anodization in lactic acid to increase the selectivity for formate at a low applied potential. Prepared porous Sn electrode enhances formate production from the CO2RR at a low applied potential due to the stabilization of the CO2 or its reaction intermediates.

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Funding

This work was partially supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientist (Grant Number 18K14324).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Functional Interface Engineering, Department of Biological Functions and Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Kitakyushu Science and Research Park, Fukuoka, 808-0196, Japan

    Masayuki Morimoto, Namiki Fujita, Yoshiyuki Takatsuji & Tetsuya Haruyama

  2. Nanomaterials Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan

    Masayuki Morimoto

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  1. Masayuki Morimoto
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  2. Namiki Fujita
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  3. Yoshiyuki Takatsuji
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  4. Tetsuya Haruyama
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Correspondence to Yoshiyuki Takatsuji or Tetsuya Haruyama.

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Morimoto, M., Fujita, N., Takatsuji, Y. et al. Decreasing the Overpotential for Formate Production in Electrochemical CO2 Reduction Achieved by Anodized Sn Electrode. Electrocatalysis 13, 72–80 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12678-021-00695-2

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