Efficient solar-driven electrocatalytic CO2 reduction in a redox-medium-assisted system

Yuhang Wang, Junlang Liu, Yifei Wang, Yonggang Wang and Gengfeng Zheng ()
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Yuhang Wang: Fudan University
Junlang Liu: Fudan University
Yifei Wang: Fudan University
Yonggang Wang: Fudan University
Gengfeng Zheng: Fudan University

Nature Communications, 2018, vol. 9, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract Solar-driven electrochemical carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction is capable of producing value-added chemicals and represents a potential route to alleviate carbon footprint in the global environment. However, the ever-changing sunlight illumination presents a substantial impediment of maintaining high electrocatalytic efficiency and stability for practical applications. Inspired by green plant photosynthesis with separate light reaction and (dark) carbon fixation steps, herein, we developed a redox-medium-assisted system that proceeds water oxidation with a nickel-iron hydroxide electrode under light illumination and stores the reduction energy using a zinc/zincate redox, which can be controllably released to spontaneously reduce CO2 into carbon monoxide (CO) with a gold nanocatalyst in dark condition. This redox-medium-assisted system enables a record-high solar-to-CO photoconversion efficiency of 15.6% under 1-sun intensity, and an outstanding electric energy efficiency of 63%. Furthermore, it allows a unique tuning capability of the solar-to-CO efficiency and selectivity by the current density applied during the carbon fixation.

Date: 2018
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-07380-x

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