Aligned carbon nanotube/copper sheets: a new electrocatalyst for CO₂ reduction to hydrocarbons
By Koo, Youngmi; Malik, Rachit; Alvarez, Noe; White, Leon; Shanov, Vesselin N.; Schulz, Mark; Collins, Boyce; Sankar, Jagannathan & Yun, Yeoheung
Published in RSC Adv.
The Royal Society of Chemistry
2014
Abstract
We controlled the morphologies of copper (Cu) nanostructure on aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) sheets, influencing the efficiency of the electrocatalytic reduction of CO₂. Functionalized CNT sheets affected the pulsed electrodeposition of copper in terms of 3D growth, bonding, and electrochemical activity. CNT/Cu sheet electrocatalyst shows high performance in electrochemical reduction of CO₂ to hydrocarbons at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. Reduction products were carbon monoxide (CO), methane (CH₄), and ethylene (C₂H₄) gases. Carbon monoxide yields (178 μmu mol cm² mA⁻¹ h⁻¹) and methane yields (346 [small mu ]mol cm2 mA⁻¹ h⁻¹) at oxygen-plasma-treated CNT/Cu sheet electrodes were remarkably higher than other CNT/Cu and CNT sheets. Experimental results also show 3D morphology of copper growth on CNT sheets may play a critical role in hydrocarbon products from CO₂.