Rahman G., Chung Y.H.
Hallym University, KR
Keywords: carbon dioxide, cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical reduction, methanol
Carbon dioxide has been converted to methanol by means of electrochemical reduction using electrodes of metal oxides. The electrodes used in the conversion of CO2 consisted of Ru/Ir/Co oxides in the atomic ratios of Ru/Ir/Co of 5.4:3.6:1, 3:2:1, and 4.7:3.1:1. The typical electrolyte employed in the study was 0.8 M NaHCO3 solutions with CO2 saturation. Their corresponding electrochemical properties are shown in Figure 1. Figure 1 indicates that the electrode of Ru/Ir/Co (4.7:3.1:1) oxides appeared to be most efficient for the reduction of CO2 to methanol since it induced significantly higher current density than the other two. With a solar cell providing the power needed for the electrochemical reduction, CO2 can be converted to methanol without any cost of energy. The reduction process will alleviate global warming and produce energy resource for fuel cells. Further research is needed to find an optimal composition of electrode metal oxides and consequently perform the electrochemical reduction of CO2 with the electrodes of interest leading to substantially produce methanol used for fuel cells. *This work was supported by Amie Fund.
Journal: TechConnect Briefs
Volume: Technical Proceedings of the 2012 Clean Technology Conference and Trade Show
Published: June 18, 2012
Pages: 134 - 137
Industry sector: Energy & Sustainability
Topic: Carbon Capture & Utilization
ISBN: 978-1-4665-6277-6