Nanostructured Au Electrode with 100 h Stability for Solar-Driven Electrochemical Reduction of Carbon Dioxide to Carbon Monoxide

Solar-to-chemical energy conversion is a potential alternative to fossil fuels. A promising approach is the electrochemical (EC) reduction of CO2 to value-added chemicals, particularly hydrocarbons. Here, we report on the selective EC reduction of CO2 to CO on a porous Au nanostructure (pAu) cathode in 0.1 M KHCO3. The pAu cathode anodized at 2.6 V exhibited maximum Faradaic efficiency (FE) for conversion of CO2 to CO (up to 100% at -0.75 V vs reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE)). Furthermore, commercial Si photovoltaic cells were combined with EC systems (PV-EC) consisting of pAu cathodes and IrO2 anodes. The triple-junction cell and EC system resulted in a solar-to-CO conversion efficiency (SCE) of 5.3% under 1 sun illumination and was operated for 100 h. This study provides a PV-EC CO2 reduction system for CO production and indicates the potential of the PV-EC system for the EC reduction of CO2 to value-added chemicals.

Automated summary

Solar-to-chemical energy conversion is a potential alternative to fossil fuels. This study demonstrates the electrochemical reduction of CO2 to CO using a porous Au nanostructure as a cathode. The PV-EC system, combined with Si photovoltaic cells and IrO2 anodes, achieved a solar-to-CO conversion efficiency of 5.3% under 1 sun illumination and operated for 100 hours.