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Reduction of Carbon Dioxide to Formate at Low Overpotential Using a Superbase Ionic Liquid

  • Nathan Hollingsworth
  • , Rebecca Taylor
  • , Miguel T. Galante
  • , Johan Jacquemin
  • , Claudia Longo
  • , Katherine B. Holt
  • , Nora H. De Leeuw
  • , Christopher Hardacre

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

A new low-energy pathway is reported for the electrochemical reduction of CO2 to formate and syngas at low overpotentials, utilizing a reactive ionic liquid as the solvent. The superbasic tetraalkyl phosphonium ionic liquid [P66614][124Triz] is able to chemisorb CO2 through equimolar binding of CO2 with the 1,2,4-triazole anion. This chemisorbed CO2 can be reduced at silver electrodes at overpotentials as low as 0.17 V, forming formate. In contrast, physically absorbed CO2 within the same ionic liquid or in ionic liquids where chemisorption is impossible (such as [P66614][NTf2]) undergoes reduction at significantly increased overpotentials, producing only CO as the product.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)14164-14168
Number of pages5
JournalAngewandte Chemie - International Edition
Volume54
Issue number47
DOIs
Publication statusPublished (in print/issue) - 25 Sept 2015

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

  1. SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
    SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Keywords

  • CO reduction
  • electrolysis
  • formate
  • ionic liquids
  • superbases

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