Nashrieh Shimi va Mohandesi Shimi Iran

Nashrieh Shimi va Mohandesi Shimi Iran

Paired electrolysis of carbon dioxide reduction and anodic synthesis of coordination polymer of Cu-nitrobenzimidazole

Document Type : Research Article

Authors
1 Department of Chemistry, Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS), Zanjan, 45137-66731, Iran
2 Department of Chemistry, Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS), Zanjan
Abstract
In this study, a paired electrolysis system was designed to overcome the fundamental challenges of the electrochemical CO2 reduction process in conventional electrochemical cells, particularly the low energy efficiency. In this work, the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), a sluggish process whose product is of limited industrial significance, was replaced by the synthesis of the Cu-NBim metal-organic framework (PC) under mild conditions. Given the standard oxidation potential of copper (+0.34 V) compared to water (+1.23 V), copper is thermodynamically more favorable for oxidation, which significantly reduces the overall energy requirements of the electrolysis cell. The cathode was fabricated using graphite paper modified with a cobalt phthalocyanine/multi-walled carbon nanotube (CoPc@MWCNT) catalyst. The strong interactions between the components led to a uniform distribution of CoPc, playing a crucial role in enhancing the electrocatalytic performance. Electrochemical results demonstrated that the catalyst exhibits significant activity for CO2 reduction, with an onset potential of -0.47 V (vs. RHE) and a current density 20 mA cm-2 at a potential of -0.91V (vs. RHE). The system successfully produced syngas (a mixture of CO and H2) with a molar ratio of approximately 1:1 and a turnover frequency (TOF) of 3.3 s-1. This approach provides a novel and efficient pathway for the simultaneous conversion of CO2 pollutants into fuels and the production of high-value economic materials.
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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 09 August 2026