Abstract
Reduction of carbon dioxide has as main objective the production of useful organic compounds and fuels – renewable fuels – in which solar energy would be stored. Molecular catalysts can be employed to reach this goal, either in photochemical or electrochemical (or combined) contexts. They may in particular provide excellent selectivity thanks to easy tuning of the electronic properties at the metal and of the ligand. Hybridization of the catalysts with conductive materials may lead to enhanced stability and new catalytic properties, as well as the development of devices (electrolyzers).
Recently, we have found that Co phthalocyanine adsorbed at carbon nanotubes can convert CO2 to CO, and CO to methanol, opening the path to a cascade process for the production of CH3OH. Upon combining electrochemical and spectroscopic studies (IR, XAS), we have uncovered the reasons for such remarkable reactivity. Our recent results will be discussed, including the insertion of this catalyst into a flow cell.
References
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