3D CVD N-Doped Graphene Coated Cu Foam As Electro-Catalyst Towards CO2 Reduction Reaction (CO2RR)

Abstract

At present, carbon dioxide emission is a significant environmental problem and cause of global climate change. Therefore, the utilization and conversion of CO2 should be an integral part of carbon management. One of the promising approaches to convert this greenhouse gas into value-added or commodity products is an electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide via a path of carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR). Nevertheless, CO2 is an inert molecule that requires more energy to activate the chemical bond. Moreover, the reduction of CO2 is a complex reaction due to many paths of electron transfers on the electrocatalyst surface. Generally, the conversion of CO2 reduction relates to the composition and structure of electrode, electrolyte solution, and experimental condition. Herein, we use N-doped graphene on copper foam (N-GP/CuF) as a catalyst prepared by CVD process. To understand the electrochemical performances of synthesized catalyst for CO2 reduction, we electrochemical characterized by using linear sweep (LSV) and gas chromatography (GC) techniques. The nitrogen doped on the few-layer graphene catalyst not only reduces the onset potential but also improves the current density. These benefits help opening the new perspective in the field of electrochemical conversion of CO2 catalyst.