Browsing by Author "Saez-Pizarro, Natalia"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Carbon dioxide electrochemical reduction by copper nanoparticles/ionic liquid-based catalytic inks
    (2024) Gazzano, Valeria; Mardones-Herrera, Elias; Saez-Pizarro, Natalia; Armijo, Francisco; Martinez-Rojas, Francisco; Ruiz-Leon, Domingo; Honores, Jessica; Isaacs, Mauricio
    The development of copper nanoparticle (CuNP)-based catalysts for the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (ECO2-R) offers a promising approach to enhance its transformation into other industrially significant compounds. This study reports ECO2-R at -1.3 V vs RHE using CuNPs and catalytic inks composed of CuNPs and ionic liquids (ILs), observing significant differences in the selectivity of each catalyst. Specifically, CuNPs alone show a preference for producing ethylene and aqueous products, such as formic acid, ethanol, and formaldehyde. In contrast, the addition of ILs to the catalytic system redirects selectivity toward gaseous products, with methane being the main product. These findings highlight the potential to optimize catalyst composition to tailor the selectivity of CO2 conversion processes. ILs modify the catalytic environment and influence reaction pathways, enabling the selection of specific products.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Reduced Graphene Oxide Overlayer on Copper Nanocube Electrodes Steers the Selectivity Towards Ethanol in Electrochemical Reduction of Carbon Dioxide
    (2022) Mardones-Herrera, Elias; Castro-Castillo, Carmen; Nanda, Kamala Kanta; Veloso, Nicolas; Leyton, Felipe; Martinez, Francisco; Saez-Pizarro, Natalia; Ruiz-Leon, Domingo; Jesus Aguirre, Maria; Armijo, Francisco; Isaacs, Mauricio
    Developing copper-based electrocatalysts that favor high-value multi-carbon oxygenates is desired, given their use as platform chemicals and as a direct fuel for transportation. Combining a CO-selective catalyst with copper shifts the selectivity of CO2 electroreduction toward C-2 products. Herein, we developed a reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-modified copper nanocube electrocatalyst that could shift the selectivity of CO2 electroreduction towards ethanol (Faradaic efficiency 76. 84 % at -0.9 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE)). Spectroelectrochemical Raman analysis reveals a higher population of *C2HxOy intermediates at -0.9 V vs. RHE on the rGO-modified copper nanocube electrocatalyst surface, which coincides with the highest faradaic efficiency of ethanol upon CO2 electroreduction at the same potential. Our results demonstrate that the rGO modification can enhance ethanol selectivity through a probable tandem electrocatalysis mechanism and provide insights into controlling electrocatalytic activity and product selectivity in the CO2 electroreduction reaction.