Enhanced electrochemical conversion of CO2 into formic acid using PbSO4/ AtSn electrode: Catalyst synthesis and process optimization

Electrochemical carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction is among the most promising and effective methods for producing valuable fuels while simultaneously addressing global warming. Numerous metal-based materials showed promising potential for CO2 conversion due to their distinct physical, mechanical, and electrical capabilities. However, there is often a continuous challenge to fabricating stable electrode systems with high Faradaic efficiency %. In this study, an electrochemical catalyst consisting of lead sulphate was synthesized, deposited on acid treated tin foil (PbSO4/AtSn) and tested for the CO2 ECR. The prepared Pb-based catalyst demonstrated a high faradaic efficiency of 79.8% at - 26 mA in a 0.11 M CO2-saturated NaHCO3 aqueous solution, which was significantly higher than both the acid treated and untreated blank Sn foil. The catalyst also exhibited lower energy consumption (0.0695 kWh.mol- 1) compared to the most commonly used formic acid-producing electrocatalyst. At a constant current of - 26 mA, the catalyst continued to function after 20 h of continuous CO2 electrochemical reduction. Experimental design was used to optimize the fabricated catalyst performance at different operating conditions. Optimum performance was obtained at - 26 mA current, 0.11 M electrolyte concentration, and 1.42 mg of catalyst to obtain the highest faradic efficiency. According to the experimental findings, the Pb-based catalyst's superior catalytic performance could be attributed to its larger electrochemical active surface area and reduced charge-transfer resistance. These promising results suggest that the prepared Pbbased catalyst can be highly effective for electrochemical reduction of CO2 with promising potential for commercialization.

Automated summary

In the field of electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction, the synthesized lead sulphate-based catalyst exhibited high Faradaic efficiency and low energy consumption, showing great commercial potential.