A novel molecular catalyst system for the electrolysis of CO₂ to CO with high efficiency and durability

A study conducted by Shunsuke Sato et al. was published in the Science Advances.

The development of electrocatalytic systems capable of synthesizing useful organic compounds by reducing CO₂ is an increasingly important area of research that addresses both global warming and fossil fuel scarcity. Although many researchers have studied it, the durability and energy conversion efficiency has not been sufficient.
The present work demonstrates the improved durability and energy conversion efficiency for the electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction using new molecular catalysts with alkali metal cations such as K⁺. Our system can reduce CO₂ at a current density of 100 mA/cm² and produce CO over a period of at least one week with a selectivity of over 95% at an energy conversion efficiency of approximately 70%.
This research is expected to be applied to technologies that efficiently use renewable energy such as solar cells to convert CO₂.

Title: Enhanced Performance of Molecular Electrocatalysts for CO₂ Reduction in a Flow Cell Following K⁺ Addition
Authors: Sato, S., Sekizawa, K., Shirai, S., Sakamoto, N., Morikawa, T.
Journal Name: Science Advances
Published: November 8, 2023
https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adh9986