Single atom Cu-N-C catalysts for the electro-reduction of CO_(2) to CO assessed by rotating ring-disc electrode

The electrochemical CO_(2) reduction reaction(CO_(2)RR) to controllable chemicals is considered as a promising pathway to store intermittent renewable energy. Herein, a set of catalysts based on copper-nitrogendoped carbon xerogel(Cu-N-C) are successfully developed varying the copper amount and the nature of the copper precursor, for the efficient CO_(2)RR. The electrocatalytic performance of Cu-N-C materials is assessed by a rotating ring-disc electrode(RRDE), technique still rarely explored for CO_(2)RR. For comparison, products are also characterized by online gas chromatography in a H-cell. The as-synthesized Cu-NC catalysts are found to be active and highly CO selective at low overpotentials(from -0.6 to -0.8 V vs.RHE) in 0.1 M KHCO_(3), while H_(2) from the competitive water reduction appears at larger overpotentials(-0.9 V vs. RHE). The optimum copper acetate-derived catalyst containing Cu-N_(4) moieties exhibits a CO_(2)-to-CO turnover frequency of 997 h^(-1) at -0.9 V vs. RHE with a H_(2)/CO ratio of 1.8. These results demonstrate that RRDE configuration can be used as a feasible approach for identifying electrolysis products from CO_(2)RR.

Effect of Hydrodynamic Conditions on Corrosion Inhibition of Cu-Ni(90/10)Alloy in Seawater and Sulphide Containing Seawater Using 1,2,3-Benzotriazole

Electrochemical studies of the effect of hydrodynamic conditions on corrosion inhibition of Cu-Ni （90/10） alloy in synthetic seawater and sulphide containing synthetic seawater by 1,2,3-benzotriazole （BTAH） are presented. Impedance, potentiodynamic polarization and cyclic voltammetric （CV） studies are employed in the present investigation. The studies are carried out by using Cu-Ni （90/10） alloy rotating disc electrode at different rotation speeds and at different immersion periods. Reynolds numbers at each rotation speed infer that the flow of seawater is laminar. With increasing rotation speed of the electrode immersed in seawater without sulphide and BTAH, both the charge transfer resistance （Rot） and film resistance （Rf^lm） are increased. However, in the presence of sulphide ions and without BTAH, both the Rot and Rf,m are found to decrease with increasing rotation speed at identical immersion periods. Interestingly, when BTAH is added to seawater or seawater containing sulphide, both the Rot and Rf,m are increased to such a great extent that an inhibition efficiency of 99.99% is obtained. In the presence of BTAH, the phase angle Bode plots are more broadened and the maximum values of phase angle are increased to a value close to 90~ as the rotation speed is increased. The BTAH film is highly protective even under hydrodynamic condition also. Potentiodynamic polarization studies infer that BTAH functions as a mixed inhibitor under hydrodynamic conditions also. CV studies reveal that the protective BTAH film is stable even at anodic potentials of ＋850 mV vs Ag/AgCI.