TY - JOUR
T1 - Efficient electrosynthesis of n-propanol from carbon monoxide using a Ag–Ru–Cu catalyst
AU - Wang, Xue
AU - Ou, Pengfei
AU - Ozden, Adnan
AU - Hung, Sung Fu
AU - Tam, Jason
AU - Gabardo, Christine M.
AU - Howe, Jane Y.
AU - Sisler, Jared
AU - Bertens, Koen
AU - García de Arquer, F. Pelayo
AU - Miao, Rui Kai
AU - O’Brien, Colin P.
AU - Wang, Ziyun
AU - Abed, Jehad
AU - Rasouli, Armin Sedighian
AU - Sun, Mengjia
AU - Ip, Alexander H.
AU - Sinton, David
AU - Sargent, Edward H.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada (number RGPIN-2017-06477, E.H.S.) and the Ontario Research Fund—Research Excellence Program (number ORF-RE08-034, E.H.S.). DFT calculations were performed on the Niagara supercomputer at the SciNet HPC Consortium. We acknowledge the computational resources supported by SciNet, which is funded by the University of Toronto, the Ontario Research Fund—Research Excellence Program, the Government of Ontario and the Canada Foundation for Innovation. D.S. acknowledges the NSERC E.W.R. Steacie Memorial Fellowship. Synchrotron measurements were carried out at the BL-17C at the National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center. We thank R. Wolowiec and D. Kopilovic for their kind technical assistance, Ontario Centre for the Characterization of Advanced Materials (OCCAM) of the University of Toronto and the National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.
PY - 2022/2
Y1 - 2022/2
N2 - The high-energy-density C3 fuel n-propanol is desired from CO2/CO electroreduction, as evidenced by propanol’s high market price per tonne (approximately US$ 1,400–1,600). However, CO electroreduction to n-propanol has shown low selectivity, limited production rates and poor stability. Here we report catalysts, identified using computational screening, that simultaneously facilitate multiple carbon–carbon coupling, stabilize C2 intermediates and promote CO adsorption, all leading to improved n-propanol electrosynthesis. Experimentally we construct the predicted optimal electrocatalyst based on silver–ruthenium co-doped copper. We achieve, at 300 mA cm−2, a high n-propanol Faradaic efficiency of 36% ± 3%, a C2+ Faradaic efficiency of 93% and single-pass CO conversion of 85%. The system exhibits 100 h stable n-propanol electrosynthesis. Technoeconomic analysis based on the performance of the pilot system projects profitability.
AB - The high-energy-density C3 fuel n-propanol is desired from CO2/CO electroreduction, as evidenced by propanol’s high market price per tonne (approximately US$ 1,400–1,600). However, CO electroreduction to n-propanol has shown low selectivity, limited production rates and poor stability. Here we report catalysts, identified using computational screening, that simultaneously facilitate multiple carbon–carbon coupling, stabilize C2 intermediates and promote CO adsorption, all leading to improved n-propanol electrosynthesis. Experimentally we construct the predicted optimal electrocatalyst based on silver–ruthenium co-doped copper. We achieve, at 300 mA cm−2, a high n-propanol Faradaic efficiency of 36% ± 3%, a C2+ Faradaic efficiency of 93% and single-pass CO conversion of 85%. The system exhibits 100 h stable n-propanol electrosynthesis. Technoeconomic analysis based on the performance of the pilot system projects profitability.
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U2 - 10.1038/s41560-021-00967-7
DO - 10.1038/s41560-021-00967-7
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85124572541
VL - 7
SP - 170
EP - 176
JO - Nature Energy
JF - Nature Energy
SN - 2058-7546
IS - 2
ER -
