Catalytic electroreducion of CO2 by cobalt phtalocyanines to produce methanol
Résumé
2023 marks a new record for fossil CO2 emissions worldwide: 37.5 billion tonnes of carbon, an increase of 1.1% compared to 2022 [1]. Progress the development of technologies for the use of CO2 such as the valorization of CO2 into high added value chemicals by the electrochemical reactions of CO2 reduction (CO2RR) becomes a necessity [2]. CO2RR for obtaining very small molecules such as methanol (CH3OH) are particularly interesting since they are critical chemical compounds and have a high energy storage capacity [3]. The major advantage of methanol compared to other products is that it is liquid at temperature and atmospheric pressure which facilitates its transport and storage compared to gases. Developing an efficient and selective electrocatalytic system to directly reduce CO2 into methanol remains a challenge. In general, metal catalysts are mainly active in the conversion of CO2 to CO or HCOOH except copper, which can give ethylene, methane, ethanol [4]. However, recent studies have shown methanol production with metallo macrocycle molecular catalysts as cobalt phtalocyanines (CoPc) [5-6].
In this context we have developed an electrocatalytic system with CoPc that is capable of producing methanol from CO2. A standard electrochemical H-cell is used, with a glassy carbon electrode electrode coated with the CoPc and immersed in 0.5M KHCO3. At -1.2 V vs. the reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) we obtain a faradaic efficiency of 10% for methanol. Functionalized CoPc with n-BuO groups ((n-BuO)4CoPc) allow better results: smaller overpotential to produce methanol (-1.0 V vs. RHE) and better selectivity (faradaic efficiency of 17% for methanol).
[1] P. Friedlingstein, “2023 Global Carbon Budget”, Earth System Science Data 15, 5301-5369 (2023)
[2] R.I. Masel, “An Industrial Perspective on Catalysts for Low-Temperature CO2 Electrolysis”, Nature Nanotechnology 16, 118−128 (2021)
[3] Y.R. Wang, “Light, Heat and Electricity Integrated Energy Conversion System: Photothermal-Assisted Co-Electrolysis of CO2 and Methanol.”, Angewandte Chemie International Edition 61, 12162 (2022)