A metal-free electrocatalyst for carbon dioxide reduction to multi-carbon hydrocarbons and oxygenates

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J. Wu, S. Ma,, J. Sun, J. Gold, C. S. Tiwary, B. Kim,  Zhu, N. Chopra, I. N. Odeh, R. Vajtai, A.Z. Yu, R. Luo, J. Lou, G. Ding, P.J.A. Kenis & P. M. Ajayan

Electroreduction of carbon dioxide into higher-energy liquid fuels and chemicals is a promising but challenging renewable energy conversion technology. The group of authors report that nanometre-size N-doped graphene quantum dots (NGQDs) catalyse the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide into multi-carbon hydrocarbons and oxygenates at high Faradaic efficiencies, high current densities and low overpotentials. The C2 and C3 product distribution and production rate for NGQD-catalysed carbon dioxide reduction is comparable to those obtained with copper nanoparticle-based electrocatalysts.

Nature Communications 7, Article number: 13869 (2016) (open access)
Full article is available at DDOI: 10.1038/ncomms13869