Electrocatalytic CO2 reduction on earth abundant 2D Mo2C and Ti3C2 MXenes

Nuwan H. Attanayake; Huta R. Banjade; Akila C. Thenuwara; Babak Anasori; Qimin Yan; Daniel R. Strongin

doi:10.1039/D0CC05822J

Electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction on earth abundant 2D Mo₂C and Ti₃C₂ MXenes†

Nuwan H. Attanayake,

^ab Huta R. Banjade,^bc Akila C. Thenuwara,^ab Babak Anasori,^de Qimin Yan^bc and Daniel R. Strongin

*^ab

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* Corresponding authors

^a Department of Chemistry, Temple University, 1901 N. 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
E-mail: dstrongi@temple.edu

^b Center for Complex Materials from First Principles (CCM), Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA

^c Department of Physics, Temple University, 1925 N 12th St, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA

^d Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and A. J. Drexel Nanomaterials Institute, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA

^e Integrated Nanosystems Development Institute, and Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, Purdue School of Engineering and Technology, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA

Abstract

Mo₂C and Ti₃C₂ MXenes were investigated as earth-abundant electrocatalyts for the CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR). Mo₂C and Ti₃C₂ exhibited faradaic efficiencies of 90% (250 mV overpotential) and 65% (650 mV overpotential), respectively, for the reduction of CO₂ to CO in acetonitrile using an ionic liquid electrolyte. The use of ionic liquid 1-ethyl-2-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate as an electrolyte in organic solvent suppressed the competing hydrogen evolution reaction. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggested that the catalytic active sites are oxygen vacancy sites on both MXene surfaces. Also, a spontaneous dissociation of adsorbed COOH species to a water molecule and adsorbed CO on Mo₂C promote the CO₂RR.

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Article information

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/D0CC05822J
Article type: Communication
Submitted: 27 Aug 2020
Accepted: 30 Dec 2020
First published: 31 Dec 2020

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Chem. Commun., 2021,57, 1675-1678

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Electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction on earth abundant 2D Mo₂C and Ti₃C₂ MXenes

N. H. Attanayake, H. R. Banjade, A. C. Thenuwara, B. Anasori, Q. Yan and D. R. Strongin, Chem. Commun., 2021, 57, 1675 DOI: 10.1039/D0CC05822J

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