Enabling electrocatalytic Fischer-Tropsch synthesis from carbon dioxide over copper-based electrodes

We report on the discovery that paraffins and olefins up to C(6) hydrocarbons can be obtained in CO(2) electroreduction at room temperature and atmospheric pressure by application of a commercially available Cu-electrode (Eurofysica), provided pretreatment by electropolishing is avoided. The product distribution follows the Schultz-Flory distribution and, depending on the applied potential, the chain growth probability (alpha) ranges from 0.23 to 0.31, values lower than those obtained in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis over heterogeneous Co- or Fe-based catalysts.