AUTHOR=Gazzano Valeria , Mardones-Herrera Elías , Sáez-Pizarro Natalia , Armijo Francisco , Martinez-Rojas Francisco , Ruiz-León Domingo , Honores Jessica , Isaacs Mauricio 

TITLE=Carbon dioxide electrochemical reduction by copper nanoparticles/ionic liquid-based catalytic inks

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Environmental Chemistry

VOLUME=5

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/environmental-chemistry/articles/10.3389/fenvc.2024.1447014

DOI=10.3389/fenvc.2024.1447014

ISSN=2673-4486

ABSTRACT=<p>The development of copper nanoparticle (CuNP)-based catalysts for the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (ECO<sub>2</sub>-R) offers a promising approach to enhance its transformation into other industrially significant compounds. This study reports ECO<sub>2</sub>-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 CO<sub>2</sub> conversion processes. ILs modify the catalytic environment and influence reaction pathways, enabling the selection of specific products.</p>